Pokémon Radiant Sun


It's been a really weird fortnight and some change.

One of my favorite WWE Superstars got turned into a demented children's TV show host. And then Persona 5: The Royal was announced, making me insanely happy (even if I'm not going to be able to play it for about a year.) And I'm finally getting around to some of the moments in this story I've been looking forward to the most.

Otherwise, I've just been feeling really crap this past week. Hence why this is up on Tuesday instead of last Friday. I'm hoping to get more work done on the next chapter during the week, but we'll see how it goes.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Defender31415, Oragonking, Ew futf, Anasazi Darkmoon, JDunks809, skyguys05, SonicIKE, Joey, BraviaryScout, RC-DA, Sai Og Sus, PigniteGamer29, and Boy Knight. Thanks for the fantastic feedback.

This one is now the new second longest chapter. I really need to learn when to stop.

That was a joke, of course. I'll never stop!

Enjoy.


Chapter 84: Standards


Several Years ago…


"Faster, little pup! Faster!"

"I'm...trying!"

Night had fallen on Melemele Island, but that mattered little to the pack of Growlithe and Arcanine as they rushed through the wilderness of Melemele Island. A certain Growlithe struggled to keep up its family, though ended up managing to keep the pace regardless of how much it tired him. He was young, still, and had yet to grow as strong as they had. He would in time, though.

Finally, the pack began to slow as they decided now would be a good place to stop for the night. Brago panted heavily from the effort of running, though after a moment a strange scent in the air made him jerk his head glanced towards the left, where the trees thickened, and then forward to where the pack was beginning to settling down. Curious, Brago dashed off towards the strange scent, his interest getting the better of him.

The Puppy Pokémon padded through the trees, his nose sniffing the air repeatedly as he tried to track down the odd scent. It made him shiver, but it also interested him. Even though he was very young, he knew something like this wasn't natural. Soon enough the trees began to clear, and Brago slowed his approach, his eyes catching something ahead of him. Two humans standing at the edge of a cliff. They spoke quietly to each other, Brago could tell they were both male.

One was well-built man with a thick beard, garbed in a strange outfit: a mixture of belts and buckles holding a white cloak around a man who wore baggy shorts with a sword at his waist. The other man was slim but also cloaked, though he wore black, his head covered by a hood.

"Sir, are you sure? It could place you in danger!" the young man asked frantically.

"I'm sure. Secrecy is our strongest friend at the moment, and our current alliance is tenuous at best." The other man spoke, his voice sounding much older. An undercurrent of malice lurked within his quiet voice, and after a moment the man reached within his cloak and laughed.

"Still...This was one hell of a peace offering. To think they would offer the key to power so freely. My longtime ally got quite the upgrade, didn't he?" the man asked, pulling out a small ball-like object that took Brago a moment to recognize. A Poké Ball. After a moment, the old man tossed it into the air and the ball erupted in a shower of light, revealing a Pokémon on the ground that the Growlithe had never seen before.

Brago then felt his heart stop.

The creature in question was a strange sort of mixture of a metallic spider and tortoise, though it only had four legs. A mask-like thing covered its face, and it had powerful-looking claws that looked perfect for climbing up walls. Brago could tell this Pokémon was immensely strong, and was quite possibly one of the many Legendaries of old that he had been told about by the others in his pack. But the thing that unsettled him so much as the strange black aura that surrounded the creature.

Brago could feel the raw, undiluted hatred in the air. An anger at the world and everything around it, held only in check by the will of the one that held its leash. This creature cloaked in darkness was in pain, and wanted to use that pain to crush anything that stood in its way. And that sent a cold feeling down Brago's spine that he couldn't identify…

"Shadow Heatran...Use Shadow Scorch!" the older man ordered the creature, which shuddered fo a moment before releasing a earth-shattering roar that made Brago flinch in surprise before a massive blast of jet-black flames spewed from the mouth of the monster. Brago felt the chilling feeling slowly worm its way into his heart as the man cackled with manic delight as the black flames poured into the water, the sensation of fear slowly nestling deep into him. He fought the urge to flee then, somehow rooted to the spot in absolute horror at what he was seeing.

The older man stopped laughing, coughing slightly a few times before crossing his arms. "Very well done. Such power...Yes, it will do quite nicely."

"I agree sir. Though I do have to ask...Can you really trust those people?" the young man asked, with the older man chuckling in response.

"You can't trust anyone in this world, my young warrior. I have well and truly fallen, and you've done well to follow me all these years. Someday we will rise from the ashes and rebuild. And Alola will taste my wrath. But that day is quite a ways from now, so we will wait."

"I see...is that why you wanted the mask?" the younger man asked, reaching into his robe and offering a rather intricate metal mask to the older man. The cloaked elder accepted the mask, looking down at it for a few moments.

"This mask will become me. I have to become a shadow, so that our revenge will be complete. I will not be denied…" the older man hissed, his voice showing the first signs of anger that evening. The younger man bowed to the older man, who looked down at his subordinate for a moment before placing a hand on his head. The younger man rose, standing alongside the older man.

"We will strike when the time is right...Isn't that right, Shadow Heatran?" the older man asked, his voice a croon as Shadow Heatran twitched slightly, its face contorted in agony. Suddenly it let out a roar, and to Brago's horror he understood it perfectly this time.

"Kill...tear..pain...hurt…DIE!" Heatran screamed, its words barely coherent through whatever had been done to it. Brago shivered uncontrollably. The sheer amount of overwhelming anguish in those few guttural words was like a tidal wave washing over the canine. Combine that with the unimaginable power that monster held, and it nearly made the small puppy faint from shock. That thing could crush him in an instant. It could wipe out his entire pack with a single move. He had to run. He had to get away!

Brago backed up, though his body rustled the bush he was hiding in, drawing the men's attention.

"Is someone there?" the older man demanded, eyeing the dark underbrush with a hidden scowl. Brago's blood froze, but he remained completely still, lest the man command the monster beside him to snuff out his flame once and for all. Shadow Heatran itself twitched and shuddered, the aura around it burning harshly.

"Sir, your mask!" the younger man reminded him. The cloaked old man raised the metallic mask and fitted it over his face with a slight click. He tapped the side of the mask and his voice came out slightly distorted and deeper, sounding nothing like it did before.

"That's better... Someday we will rise again." Mask said to his underling, sighing softly after a moment. "But until that time, I will go into hiding. My new friends will begin moving the pieces together. So I must remain a shadow of my former self."

"That being the case…"

He swiftly pulled out a knife from his cloak and swiped it through the air, plunging the blade into the heart of the young man beside him. Brago's eyes widened in horror as the underling choked in pain and surprise, though his mouth was soon covered by Mask as the man laughed softly.

"As I said...no one can ever know who I am." Mask whispered as he stared into the man's eyes, seeing the life slowly fade from them. Mask gently removed the blade and pushed the man backwards, making him toppel off the cliff and into the waters below. Brago took that moment to run, though in his haste he made enough noise for Mask to hear him.

"Heatran! Shadow Rave!" Mask bellowed, throwing out an arm as he swung his hand out. Shadow Heatran screamed as its strange aura flared before a series of black spikes shout out from its body, tearing through the forest and exploding into showers of darkness. Brago kept running, though, and kept running and running until he had finally ran far enough that he heard nothing except the sound of his own panting-


Brago snapped out of his flashback with a grunt as a bubble popped against his head. The canine turned to glare at Finn, who was sitting on the floor with a bored look as he blew bubbles into the room. Meanwhile, Penny and Oliver were chatting idly away about something or another, but Brago ignored them as he thought about the memory.

That was where it came from. The fear that he had felt from Necrozma...it was just like the fear he had felt from that being known as Heatran. It too, was a immensely powerful creature that was so full of pain and rage that it made him uncomfortable beyond measure. The two Pokémon, while different in their madness, had the same effect on him.

Fear.

"Brago?"

The Growlithe looked up, seeing Penny and Oliver looking at him worriedly. Brago could see the exhaustion on Oliver's face, not that he would ever admit to it. He could see the patient expression Penny wore, concern in her eyes. The Finn was happily blowing bubbles, though unbeknownst to them he was paying attention as well (he just wanted to have some fun).

"That man in the mask...I wonder what sort of darkness he's up to now?" Brago wondered silently before the door opened. Brago looked up and saw Sun and his not-yet mate, Lillie, standing there with several plates of food.

"Hey everyone! We figured we'd bring up some special snacks since you all did so great today." Sun said happily as he put down several plates of treats, meats, seeds, and the Poké Beans. The Pokémon began to salivate at the glorious spread before them and soon enough were devouring what was in front of them. Lillie giggled as Sun flopped onto his bed, sighing as he sank into the comforter.

"It has been a long day, hasn't it?" Lillie remarked, reaching into her bag and pulling out a sleeping Nebby. She pulled out the book Sun had gotten her for her birthday concerning the Tapu and legends and began to read from where she had previously left off. She hadn't gotten very far yet, but she had definitely learned a lot so far. Hau looked towards Lillie to ask her a question when he spotted something within her bag.

"Hey, that's the idol I made you!" Hau called out, with Lillie jumping in surprise before nodding. Lillie pulled out the small painted idol of a golden Snorlax with wings. Hau had hand-carved it as a good luck charm for Lillie's 13fh Birthday. The girl admired it for a moment before holding it up to a curious Nebby.

"You keep that with you?" Hau asked, looking at the idol he had made Lillie for her birthday. The girl nodded, smiling at him.

"Of course. It was such a thoughtful gift, and you made it yourself. I'll always treasure it, Hau." Lillie promised, setting it back in her bag. Hau blushed bright pink, though he rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh.

"I actually kept a lot of my birthday gifts in my bag. See, I even have the mask Sina and Dexio gave me!" Lillie said as she pulled out the mask in question. She put it on, grinning sheepishly at them.

"You look like a heroine of justice." Lana remarked as she stepped out of the bathroom, ready for bed. Lillie giggled and removed the mask, stowing it in her bag.

"I would like to be brave like one someday. A hero. Or maybe have the courage to become one?" Lillie mused, thinking on Jack's words from earlier about courage. Her thoughts turned to Brago, and she glanced over at the canine to see him deep in thought,a scowl on his face..

"Brago, are you alright?" Sun asked, surprising Lillie. She realized that she had not been the only one that saw the canine's grim mood.

"I have remembered the first time I ever felt fear, Alpha." Brago said simply, sighing heavily after a moment. Sun got up off of his bed and sat down beside the canine.

"Tell me about it. Please." Sun asked the canine, rubbing his head. Lana sat down on Lillie's bed as Hau sat down on the floor, the two of them looking interested. Brago grit his teeth, not exactly liking so many people being privy to his moment of weakness, but began to recount the tale about Heatran. As he finished, Sun looked down, deep in thought.

"Dawson warned me about a masked man…" Sun muttered, crossing his arms.

"Hey Sun...The guy who attacked me at my Grand Trial the other day had a Shadow Heatran. The one who was with Cipher." Hau piped up, making Sun look up at the boy. "He had a mask on too. And his voice was all distorted."

"That's right. It might just be the same person...But who exactly is he?" Sun asked, frowning hard.

"If it is indeed the same person, then they have had Heatran in their possession for quite some time. This event occurred several years ago." Brago explained as all eyes fell on him.

"Yeah...I can imagine why you'd be scared of that thing. It was wickedly powerful from what I saw."" Hau shuddered, though Lana seemed more thoughtful.

"Whoever they are must be very skilled if they can control Heatran. Once upon a time, these islands were home to a single Heatran of much strength. Some citizens of Ula'ula Island revered it, some as much as they do Tapu Bulu. It hasn't been seen in many years, though." Lana remarked, lying down on her stomach. Sun looked back to Brago, who was listening with interest.

"And you say you felt something from Necrozma just like you did from Heatran?" Sun asked Brago, who nodded.

"The feelings of pain and anger...A raw, jet-black hatred of the world and everything in it. It overwhelmed me. Such a primal and powerful hatred at everything was enough to disturb me greatly. That thing, Necrozma, is as just as terrifying to behold as Shadow Heatran. It's pain and anger just as powerful." Brago said quietly, gritting his teeth. Lillie gasped then, smacking her fist into her hand as if she had figured something out.

"I think I know what's going on!" Lillie declared, though when she realized everyone was staring at her she blushed bright pink in embarrassment. "Um...Probably."

"What do you think, Lillie?" Sun asked the girl, who blushed a darker color of red.

"If at all possible, I'd like to have Professor Kukui and Aria confirm my hypothesis tomorrow. I'll contact the Professor and let him know to meet us first thing in the morning." Lillie said to the others, pulling out her phone and beginning to text on it. Sun turned around and hugged Brago again, though he was soon joined by Oliver and Penny, while Finn sort of just leaned against them. Brago couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face at the gesture.

His old pack never had cared so much. Though perhaps that was the difference between the two, the canine realized. The difference between a pack…

And a family.


The group of three (Lana had to pick up the twins from her parents) arrived the next morning at a small secluded park in the eastern portion of Royal Avenue. Kukui and Aria waved at the group as they approached, though the children were surprised to see Adrian Battlestorm and Kahili sitting on a nearby bench, with Adrian's secretary standing nearby reading a book. Adrian waved cheerily to the children while Kahili offered them a simple nod.

"Good morning, everyone! How've you been enjoying the Tournament so far?" Adrian asked them all.

"It's been a blast!" Hau whooped, with Sun and Lillie nodding in agreement. Adrian grinned widely as he stood up, the news obviously pleasing him.

"Great! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Today's looking to get even more heated, so I hope you and your Pokémon bring your A-game." Adrian said to the two boys.

"You sound like Professor Kukui." Sun grinned at the man, who chuckled at the comment while the Professor pouted almost childishly.

"Heh. This might be news to you three, but back in my day I was an Island Challenge Champion! I was even senior to lovely Miss Fairwind over here." Adrian said teasingly to Kahili, earning a bored stare from Kahili and a slightly annoyed look from his secretary/camerawoman before Adrian turned back to them. "Hey, you kids want to meet my Partner? He should be showing up anytime now."

Sun tilted his head in confusion, looking at Adrian's secretary, Kelly. "I thought she was your partner?"

Kelly shook her head, smiling at him. "Oh no, I just work for him. Adrian's Partner should be arriving in just a few moments, if the sound of rushing wind is any indication."

"Rushing wind...?" Hau began to say, trailing off as he heard exactly that noise. He looked up in time to see an large orange figure lightly dropping down into the grass with a grunt, standing tall above them. It was a large orange dragon-like Pokémon with a cream-colored belly, a large tail and rather small wings, Sun and Hau grinned in excitement at seeing the Pokémon while Adrian walked up and hugged the large dragon before taking a step back.

"You said you were only going to be gone three days!" Adrian said to the Dragonite, grinning up at him. The Dragon Pokémon snorted in amusement, though it did nod once. "It's fine, don't worry about it. You'll get to see the next two days of battling, which'll be even better."

"Zzzt! I sense a new Pokémon! Wheee!" Rotom beeped as it floated out of Sun's backpack, landing on his shoulder as it flicked to a new entry.

"Dragonite. The Dragon Pokémon and the evolved form of Dragonair. This Pokémon saved a shipwrecked man, taking him to a remote island—a paradise occupied solely by Dragonite. Incur the wrath of this normally calm Pokémon at your peril, because it will smash everything to smithereens before it's satisfied." Rotom explained as the others watched the Pokémon for a moment as it chattered to Adrian, who seemed to understand it perfectly with a smile. Sun knew right away that such a feat was a testament to how long the two had known each other.

Adrian turned to the group and said, "Yep! Me and Dragonite here have been together since I became a Pokémon Trainer over a decade and a half ago! Once we started out from Poni Island, we became Island Challenge Champions after about two years of hard work!"

"You really should battle me again sometime, Adrian. I bet this time things will turn out differently than our last contest." Kahili said to Adrian, who laughed in response.

"Oh yeah, you'd cream me. I don't have time for battles anymore! You train on a regular basis!" Adrian chuckled, leaning against his Partner as it chuckled roughly.

"You were an Island Challenge Champion too, Mister Battlestorm?" Lillie asked the media mogul, earning a nod in response. Adrian dug into his pocket and pulled out a Z-Ring with a proud smile on his face.

"You bet. I'm even related to the last official Captain of the Dragon-type Trial on Poni Island. While I wasn't chosen to be a Captain by the Tapu, I kept an eye on the Totem and its followers for most of my childhood. I might have also helped teach Kahili and some of her friends a thing or two about being a Trainer before I started trying to make a name for myself in journalism." Adrian said, earning a dry look from Kahili.

"You snuck me out of the house and helped me catch a Pikipek so I could go on a journey. Stop downplaying what you did for me, you dork." Kahili grumbled, giving the man an annoyed glare which he ignored.

"Wait...You're saying there's no Dragon-type Captain for the Trial on Poni Island?" Hau asked, confused by this.

"Oh yeah, hasn't been one since my Uncle outgrew it. After all, Captains can only be children chosen by the Kahuna, which are in turn chosen by the Tapu. Once you become an adult, that's it. And the Tapu on Poni is kinda secretive, so it's never chosen a successor to the Trial despite how long its been since we haven't had one."

"Doesn't the Kahuna chose the Captains though?" Sun asked. Kahili and Adrian shook their heads in response.

"Poni Island doesn't have a Kahuna. Hasn't had one for years, and it refuses to choose one now that our Kahuna...passed on." Adrian said, his voice becoming a little thick as he spoke those words. Sun's eyes widened at that particular bit of news. Kahili and Professor Kukui bowed their heads, allowing a moment of respect for the fallen Kahuna. After a moment they looked up again, their expressions a little more somber.

"Anyways, we're getting distracted. We've got a quick hypothesis to test out real quick before we head inside the stadium and have some fun." Kukui said as he drew out two Poké Balls. He tossed them out and out came his Rockruff and Winter, the Alolan Vulpix. Lillie smiled and walked over to Winter, patting her on the head. Winter cooed softly, nuzzling the girl's hand.

"Sometimes I wonder who that Vulpix likes more. You or me." Kukui grumbled softly as he rummaged around in his coat for something. He pulled out a thick leather glove and slipped it on before digging into another pocket.

"Zzzt! I sense an adorable creature with a white coat. And a Vulpix too!" Rotom declared as it floated past them, beeping. Lillie giggled at Rotom's antics as she stood up, reaching inside of her bag to pet Nebby after a moment.

"Rotom Dex seems pumped today." Hau noted, with the device whizzing by him.

"He'll be even more excited once I reveal that I'm evolving Rockruff and Winter." Kukui explained, holding up a glittering light-blue stone in his gloved hand.

"You're going to evolve them? Why?" Hau asked the Professor.

"They've been a great help in my research. However, I've extracted enough information from their respective movesets and forms to where I can progress onto their evolved forms. So why wait? Also, they've both consented to evolution, so there's no time like the present." Kukui replied, flashing them an excited grin.

"So, what's with the stone?" Aria asked the Professor. "Is that some kind of special evolution stone for Alolan Vulpix?"

"Yep! This is an Ice Stone. A very special evolutionary stone that allows Alolan Vulpix and Alolan Sandshrew to evolve." Kukui explained, holding out the stone to the children. The light-blue stone seemed to emit a wave of coldness out towards them, which felt quite nice given the usual Alolan heat. Sun spotted a large snowflake-like symbol within the rock as well.

"If that's the case...Sun?" Lillie asked, drawing the boy's attention. "Could I ask you to call out Penny and Brago?"

"Sure." Sun replied, calling out his Toucannon and Growlithe. Penny ruffled her feathers, gazing at them all impassively. Brago sniffed the air for a moment before he turned and smiled at Winter, but said nothing.

"I figured Brago should get to see Winter's evolution in person. And after this we are going to demonstrate my experiment, after all." Lillie said with a shy grin, with Sun meeting her smile with one of his own. Kukui rolled his eyes, though he bent down and placed a hand on Rockruff while pressing the Ice Stone against Winter's head. Both Pokémon began to glow light blue as the stone on Winter's head shattered into snowflakes, swirling around the icy fox. Both Pokémon began to grow in size before the light flashed and then faded, revealing two entirely new Pokémon.

Rockruff was now a light brown and white wolf with large blue eyes, standing proudly. Meanwhile, Winter had become a white and light blue fox with nine wisp-like tails. Its blue eyes opened and Winter let out a loud cry of delight.

"Zzzt! New Pokémon detected!" Rotom yelled out, floating over to where Rockruff had been standing before.

"Lycanroc. The Wolf Pokémon and the evolved form of Rockruff. Midday Form. Its quick movements confuse its enemies. Well equipped with claws and fangs, it also uses the sharp rocks in its mane as weapons. When properly raised from a young age, it will become a trustworthy partner that will absolutely never betray its Trainer." Rotom explained as Lycanroc sat on its haunches, eyeing all of them with a guarded expression.

"Wow...Wait, that looks different than the one we fought in our Grand Trial. The one with Olivia. Right, Sun?" Hau said to his best friend, who nodded.

Adrian grinned at the children, raising a finger. "True! Olivia has a Lycanroc! However, she has a Midnight Form Lycanroc, which as you can tell looks completely different than its Midday counterpart."

"There is also an elusive third form of Lycanroc out there, tied to the powers of Alola's sun and moon. However, it is exceeding rare. It hasn't been seen in Alolan in the past three generations." Kahili explained quietly as Rotom floated over to Winter, who was looking at the device with slight annoyance.

"Ninetales. The Fox Pokémon and the evolved form of Vulpix. Alolan Regional Variant. Possessing a calm demeanor, this Pokémon was revered as a deity incarnate before it was identified as a regional variant of Ninetales. It creates drops of ice in its coat and showers them over its enemies. Anyone who angers it will be frozen stiff in an instant." Rotom explained as Kukui grinned proudly.

"Looking good, you two! I can already tell you both feel comfortable in your new skins!" Kukui said as he pet them both on the head. Sun looked down at Brago to see how he was dealing with Winter's new change. He covered his mouth with his hands to stifle a laugh.

Brago's jaw was dropped in shock, a completely dumbfounded expression on his face. Penny was snickering at his hilarious reaction to Winter's evolution, yet he didn't even seem to notice as he stared at his mate in amazement. Winter padded over to him, smirking at the canine. The Alolan Ninetales coiled around him, caressing his face with one of her white tails and gently shutting his mouth. The canine snapped out of his shock then as Winter made a soft cooing sound, and Brago grinned at her in reply.

"You're somehow even more beautiful. I like it." Brago answered, which pleased the larger snowy fox as she nuzzled his head happily.

"Aww." Penny said with a wide smile. Rotom beeped happily, showing a large heart on its screen as Sun just grinned at them.

"So adorable." Aria grinned, with Kelly and Lillie nodding in agreement. Kukui rolled his eyes while Adrian put a finger to his chin.

"I can sense a lot of power in the both of them. Have you been working on these two for a while, Johnny?" Adrian asked, his Dragonite peering down at the two newly evolved Pokémon with interest.

"Oh yeah. Ever since that incident with Amber Fontaine, I've been working on making a special battling team. I've kept them on me ever since then, just in case. These two will go far. I've actually been holding off evolving Rockruff for a while now." Kukui said as he crossed his arms.

"Um, Professor?" Kukui turned his head to where his assistant had spoken. "If you don't mind, could I try out my hypothesis? The one I asked you about earlier this morning?" Lillie asked.

"Of course. Take it away, Lillie." Kukui said, stepping back and returning Winter to her ball.

Lillie nodded and turned to Aria. "You understand what I'm trying to achieve here, yes?"

"Yeah, I understood your text. You want to see if I can replicate the conditions you guys were in when you fought that Necrozma thing. Easy enough. Shadow Moltres, let's go!" Aria yelled out, tossing out her Timer Ball. The ball exploded out a stream of light and a massive bird wreathed in fire emerged, letting out a powerful screech as it appeared. However, right away the group noticed something was very wrong about the Pokémon. Surrounding it was a shadowy aura that made Sun shiver, his very heart clenching at the sight of such a Pokémon ensnared by evil's grasp.

"Is that truly...Moltres?" Adrian asked breathlessly.

"Shadow Moltres. Snagged from Cipher's grasp during the attack on the Kanto Superdome a few weeks back." Aria explained as the bird eyed them all with a wild and furious glare, though it remained still. Sun looked up at the bird with a sad, yet awed expression, amazed at how beautiful the bird was despite being corrupted in such a manner. Sun glanced at Hau and Lillie, who both had similar expressions on their faces. Sadness, mixed with reverence. Sun looked down at how the Pokémon were taking this, and was alarmed to see that Brago and Lycanroc were actually shaking at the sight of the Shadow Legendary.

"Brago?" Sun asked, his voice quiet. The canine didn't register his words, so Sun put a hand on the dog's head to comfort him. Sun looked at Penny, and while she looked disturbed she didn't seem to nearly be bothered by the sight of Shadow Moltres as Brago and Lycanroc. Sun hugged the canine, who shut his eyes as he snapped out of his trance. Penny wrapped her wings around the canine as well to comfort him.

"It's...overwhelming. The pain and anger." Brago murmured, hanging his head. Lillie looked over at Sun's team and frowned thoughtfully, nodding after a moment as she glanced at the trembling Lycanroc, who was being pet by a concerned Professor Kukui. The group was then surprised when Adrian spoke up.

"Kahili?" Adrian said aloud, a note of worry in his voice. The others turned around and saw the Island Challenge Champion staring at Moltres with an expression of absolute horror on her face. After a few moments, a single tear rolled down her cheek, her eyes glistening with emotion. Sun realized then just how heartbreaking something like this was to someone who adored Flying-types as much as Kahili did. Sun loved them as well, and it made his heart break seeing such a wonderful bird of legend be brought down to such a state.

Adrian's face flashed with alarm and her grabbed the woman by the shoulders, gently shaking her. Thankfully that snapped the woman out of her trance and she took a step back, rubbing her eyes.

"S-sorry. I just...How could they do this to her?" Kahili asked, her voice sounding as if she was barely holding back the urge to break down and sob. Adrian looked back at the Shadow Moltres, unable to come up with a good answer. Thankfully, his assistant was willing to pick up the slack.

"Because they are evil." Kelly replied, crossing her arms as Adrian looked back at her. "Not much else needs to be said about it. Only someone truly wicked would distort the heart of such a beautiful Pokémon. Moltres is revered in some places of the world as a protector and guardian. A crime such as this can't be overlooked."

Adrian nodded at his assistant in agreement, removing his hands from Kahili and crossing them as he frowned at the Legendary Bird. Aria watched the trio for a moment before she held out her hand. Moltres leaned forward, pressing her face against the Snagger's hand and chirping out softly. The vice around Sun's heart loosened then. There was hope after all.

"She's been through a lot." Aria murmured, shutting her eyes as the bird's burning body did nothing more than warm her face. "My power to see into the past and future in small bursts has let me see exactly what she's endured. It's taken nearly a month now. A month of spending time with her, talking to her, battling with her...But I'm close to opening the door to her heart. Once that door is fully open, I can undo the lock with help from...Well, you know." Aria said, smiling at them. The children nodded, realizing she was trying to keep Celebi's existence in Alola a secret. Once Colress helped purify Shadow Celebi, things would be a lot easier for all of them.

"Articuno's the best one, though." Sun remarked after a moment, earning looks from everyone. "Hey, even if it does lose in a matchup against the other two, it's still the best of them in my opinion. It's my favorite bird!"

"Really?" Hau asked,surprised.

Kahili smiled at that, surprising them. "The Legendary Bird Trio do have a wonderful beauty to them. You have good taste Sun, though I'll admit I'm partial to the ruler of the Trio: Lugia, the King of the Seas. Articuno is a close second, though."

"Oh yeah. It's beautiful, powerful, and just plain awesome. I've always wanted to see one...Heh, I asked my Dad once if he could buy us one. He said he'd try, but couldn't promise me anything." Sun said with a small laugh, remembering how ignorant he had been at the time.

"Technically he does have an Articuno. As well as a Zapdos." Aria thought to herself, though she decided not to comment.

"I do have to ask though, what was the point of all of this?" Kahili asked. Most of the group looked at Lillie, who had organized this. The girl blushed at the combined gaze of everyone, but swallowed her nerves and explained.

"I was trying to test a theory that I had. Brago is suffering from a problem regarding fear, which according to him isn't something he should be affected by since he's a Growlithe. I wanted to replicate the conditions with the two past encounters he's had with creatures that made him feel fear. And it's just as I thought." Lillie explained as she looked at each of them. "Both Brago and Lycanroc are affected by the presence of Shadow Moltres. It isn't just you, Brago."

"But why do we both feel this way?" Brago asked, his voice very quiet as Moltres stared unfeelingly at him, the evil aura billowing out from her like an inferno.

"Because you're both canines." Lillie remarked, smiling down at the dog. "Doglike Pokémon are much more sensitive to emotions than most other Pokémon, with some notable exceptions. So, when you encounter an incredibly powerful Pokémon that is consumed by negative emotions, it's overwhelming to you. Legendary Pokémon are considered to be gods in some regions of the world, correct? So it wouldn't be much of a stretch to think that a Pokémon more sensitive to emotions would be scared of a furious, raging god-like being. Which is exactly what you encountered in all three occasions where you faced fear, Brago. Shadow Heatran, all those years ago. Necrozma, the other day. And just now, with Shadow Moltres. And to prove that it isn't just you, I had the Professor bring Lycanroc in on this as well. He reacted just as strongly as you did, despite being stronger and fully evolved. The other Pokémon here seem to be fine, supporting my theory."

Sun was amazed at all of this. Lillie had figured all of this out so quickly, and with so little clues to go off of. But it made sense, and it was supported by the evidence presented to Kukui looked impressed, muttering to himself with a smile.

"Canines are more perceptive of emotions, huh?" Kukui remarked, scratching his chin. Lillie nodded, and Kukui asked, "Where did you learn this?"

"Oh, I've read extensively on the subject of Pokémon behaviors, thanks to Professor Burnet letting me borrow her library card. I've studied Pokémon Biology in particular quite a bit." Lillie said sheepishly, smiling shyly. "Professor Cedric Juniper has discussed how in many cases, canine-like Pokémon could sense even minute changes in their Trainers behaviors, and the emotions of other Pokémon. It ties into the sixth-sense all Pokémon share, except a little bit differently and much more strongly." Lillie said, with Kukui's smile widening the entire time she spoke.

"Spoken like a true researcher, Lillie! Fantastic work!" Kukui praised his assistant, clapping her on the shoulder and jostling the girl. Nebby pewed from his bag, but was mostly ignored by her. The Professor's assistant blushed at the praise, but had a rare smile of pride on her face nevertheless as she kneeled down to put a hand on Brago and Lycanroc. Kukui took that moment to call Winter back out, now that the "experiment" was over.

"That actually does make a lot of sense. I know Nate's Arcanine constantly had problems around some of the Shadow Pokémon." Aria remarked as she returned Shadow Moltres, frowning thoughtfully as Lillie pet the two dogs. Winter coiled around Brago, her larger body easily encircling the disturbed canine as he sighed with relief that the fiery bird was gone. "Though it was only the Legendaries we fought that it really struggled with. Most times he just had to use someone else. Cheren couldn't use his Stoutland either from time to time. We always wondered why that was...Maybe we should have asked the Professors. Who would have thought that it was because of the pain and anger held ensnaring the Shadow Pokémon?"

"I think that's why the negative emotions are so overwhelming. A furious Legendary Pokémon is already a terrifying thing to encounter. A violent Legendary that wants nothing more than to mindlessly attack everything around it, like the Shadow Pokémon do...I can imagine something like that would be very hard for a regular Pokémon to handle. Let alone canine Pokémon, who are already very perceptive of emotions and changes. I know when me and Sun encountered Shadow Celebi, it was incredibly scary." Lillie remarked, shuddering slightly at the memory.

"Well, I'm glad we can put this issue to bed. Brago, there's nothing wrong with you. Each of the times you felt this way were when you were faced with something overwhelming, even to a Pokémon as brave as you. It's okay...And even if it isn't, I wouldn't think any less of you." Sun said to the dog, who looked at him after a moment.

"I need to think on this. Is that alright?" Brago asked quietly, looking at Sun. He could see that while the canine was feeling better about having this explained, he was still having some doubts. Sun nodded and patted the dog on the head before returning him and Penny.

"Now that we've got that sorted out, let's head to the stadium! I wanna see who I'm gonna battle today!" Hau whooped, hopping up and down.

"You kids go ahead. I need to chat with these two for a few minutes." Kukui said, looking to Aria after a moment.

"I'll keep an eye on things." Aria promised, clipping Shadow Moltres' ball to her belt as she followed the trio of children. Sun was thanking Lillie for her help as they rounded the corner, leaving the four adults alone.

"Those kids are something else, huh?" Kukui said fondly, putting his hands on his hips.

"Indeed. Sun in particular seems to exude this capable aura." Kahili remarked quietly, with Adrian grinning at her.

"You always did have a knack for sensing potential!" Adrian joked, making Kukui chuckle in response.

"I really can't wait to see more of their talents today. Hau and Sun really are two of the brightest Trainers I've seen in years, and if they managed to win the whole thing it'd only guarantee their future success." Kukui remarked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Which reminds me, what is this mysterious grand prize that Adrian mentioned before? You know, for the Tournament? We have the cash prize and the trophy, but you keep going on and on about the winner becoming part of Alola's history? What is that about?" Kahili asked the two men.

"Of course...The winner of the Alola Grand Royale Tournament receives the grand honor of being the first Trainer to ever challenge the Alola Pokémon League once work on Mount Lanakila is completed. They'll get the very first shot at becoming the inaugural Alola League Champion!" Kukui explained to Kahili, making the woman's eyes widen in surprise.

"A great honor indeed...One should hope an Alolan wins the competition." Kahili said with a small smile, crossing her arms. Adrian and Kukui shared a grin at that. Kahili did frown after a moment and said, "I do see some problems with your plan though. What about the Island Challenge? I thought you said it would factor into it."

"Later on, it will. Honestly, we're still figuring out the logistics of everything. It's been more of a headache than you could possibly imagine. It's possible we'll alter the grand prize and maybe give away a Z-Ring to the winner. It's a complicated mess, but we're definitely leaning towards letting the winner be the first to challenge the new Elite Four if nothing else." Kukui sighed, shaking his head.

"I think we've got enough fantastic Trainers coming through this contest that I really don't care who wins! I just hope our Elite Four is ready." Adrian said to Kahili, who's smile faded.

"Wait...Hala, Olivia, and me, since don't have a Kahuna for Poni Island. Who's our fourth?" Kahili asked, confused. Kukui beamed at her in response.

"Nanu. Duh. Acerola dragged Nanu to this event too! So there's our fourth Elite Four member. He has no choice but to accept! It's a super important part of Alola's history! There's no way he could turn down an offer like that!" Kukui said cheerily, making Adrian frown at him.

"That old crank has told you at least twenty times that he doesn't want to do it. And the past three times he told you to go deepthroat a Cacnea. In fact Nanu told me the last time I spoke to him that him joining the Elite Four is about as likely as you admitting in public that you're secretly the Masked Royal." Adrian remarked, making Kukui's face drop.

"You can't be serious...Where are we going to find a fourth member!?" Kukui yelped, clutching his head in distress.

"No idea. Not my job, man. I'm in charge of hyping everything up. You're the one running it!"

"Come on man, don't leave me hanging…"

"You had this coming, Kukui. Don't automatically assume everyone's always going to be on board with your crap." Kahili remarked, smirking at the exuberant man's dismay.

"Oh, son of a bit-"


After the author cleverly censored the word "bitch" with a scene transition, our heroes found themselves within the Battle Royal Dome. Lana, Mallow, and Kiawe (who missed out on most of the day before due to work) were waiting for them, along with the others. Unlike the first day, however, there were salesmen selling audio devices with headphones attached that allowed viewers to listen to the commentary for the match, which many of them took advantage of. When Sun asked why this wasn't done the first day, Kukui admitted upon arrival that he had completely forgotten about them in the warehouse.

Burnet punched him after that.

"Welcome to the second day of the Alola Grand Royal Tournament! Yesterday we had some amazing showdowns that displayed the incredible fighting spirit of Alola and the fierce will of battle that our friends from all around the world are renowned for!" Adrian bellowed to the crowd, earning a roar of cheers. After a few moments, his smile fell.

"Dark things maybe be happening all around the world...But in times like these, it's more important than ever that we remember the bonds that tie us all together. Kindness. Empathy. Love. These are the things that unite us against the evil in this world, and I hope that by the end of this weekend we'll all be a little closer to one another as we spend time together under the Alolan sun." Adrian said to the crowd, his voice full of emotion as his smile slowly returned.

"May the blessings of Tapu Lele aid you all in victory today!" Adrian finished, throwing out a hand to the crowd with a wide grin. Sun, not for the first time, marveled at just how easily the man could rile a crowd up. H5e felt nothing but excitement and joy at the thought of spending the day watching the Tournament. As if reading his mind, Professor Kukui spoke up, looking down at the battlefield with a grin.

"Adrian Battlestorm may be a bit of a character, but he loves Alola more than I think even he realizes. When I approached him about this Tournament, he wholeheartedly supported it because it was a way for the world to see Alola in the same light that he has all these years. And a way for us all to come together. That's part of why he has such enthusiasm for his work. Adrian delights in bringing smiles to people's faces and wants nothing more than to make people happy by entertaining and informing them about the world around them. From a Pokémon Trainer, to a journalist, to owning Alola's largest TV network...Adrian works to make Alola a better place." Kukui explained to Sun, who looked back down at the stadium where the MC of the Tournament was grinning at the adoring crowd around him. Sun smiled at that, glad the the event was in the man's capable hands.

The battles went by as they did the previous day. Sun got to see Kiawe in action, where he won against Roxie, though the Captain had to leave shortly afterward because he had to go into work. Lana and Mallow looked rather sad at that, and explained that the Fire-type Captain had a lot of problems getting time off for the Tournament.

However, one match Sun was startled to see was Laura Smiles facing a rather familiar young man with a pink mohawk. Sun recognized the young man as Geoff, the scary Trainer with the terrified Riolu from yesterday.

"Alright! Looks like I'm up!" Laura said as she got to her feet, stretching her arms.

"Mom...Wipe the floor with this guy." Sun said to his mother, who was surprised at her child's serious expression. Laura smiled and nodded, bending down to hug Sun before she walked down to the battlefield. A few minutes later, Sun leaned forward as Laura and Geoff stared each other down on the battlefield, with Laura grinning in excitement and Geoff impassively staring ahead at her.

"Begin!"

"Floatzel, let's go!" Geoff snarled as he hurled his Poké Ball forward. The ball exploded outward and a strange orange weasel appeared in a flash of light. Laura grinned in response and chucked her Poké Ball forward, revealing a yellow bipideal Pokémon with flipper-like arms and a tail that ended in a red orb.

"Alright, Ampharos. Let's do this!" Laura yelled out as Adrian began the match, throwing a hand into the air.

"Ice Beam." Geoff uttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The Sea Weasel Pokémon fired off a powerful beam of icy energy, but the Ampharos was already running towards it, wearing a wide smile.

"Smack your tail into the ground and go up! Follow up with Zap Cannon!" Laura commanded, looking considerably more cheerful than Geoff was. What followed was a rather brutal match that Sun couldn't help but stand up for due to his excitement. Laura's Ampharos made quick work of Geoff's Floatzel, though his Hippowdon defeated her Ampharos after a hard battle. Laura's Blastoise defeated his second Pokémon with ease, however, which soured the face of the cold teen.

"Your Mom is in top form." Mallow noted, with Sun grinning with pride.

"She really is. I can tell that Geoff guy is good, but Laura's taking care of him with not too many problems." Lana remarked, leaning back in her chair. They watched as Geoff recalled his fallen Hippowdon and clipped the ball to his belt, scowling.

What became very interesting was what Geoff's final Pokémon was.

"Riolu! Go!" Geoff barked as he tossed a Poké Ball forward. What appeared a few moments later was a rather ragged-looking Riolu that gave Laura some pause. Her Blastoise rumbled slightly, its cannons rising and lowering as the massive beast considered its much smaller opponent.

"That's the Riolu from yesterday." Sun muttered darkly, gripping the railing ahead of him with distaste. Lillie nodded silently, worriedly watching on.

"Riolu, use Focus Blast!" Geoff barked, his voice becoming much harsher. The Riolu winced but complied, quickly forming a large sphere of energy and leaping high into the air, throwing it at Blastoise.

"Withdraw! Follow up with Hydro Pump!" Laura called out, with her Blastoise hiding within its shell as the orb soared towards it. The Riolu's attack exploded against Blastoise's hard shell, and after a moment the massive turtle emerged from its shell.

"Quick Attack to dodge! Follow up with Force Palm!" Geoff barked as the Riolu shot forward, leaping to the side with a swift burst of speed to avoid the burst of water. The nimble Riolu kicked off of the ground and landed on the Blastoise's head, releasing a massive burst of energy that made the massive Shellfish Pokémon stumble backwards.

"Follow up with Focus Blast! Rapid fire!" Geoff snarled, taking his hands out of his pockets as the Riolu charged up the attack and hurled it forward. It continued to do this as Blastoise groaned in pain, staggering backwards before Laura told it to use Withdraw.

"Alright...He's good. But I'm better. Blastoise, use Rapid Spin!" Laura yelled out. Blastoise fired water from its mouth and began to spin quickly, launching towards Geoff's Riolu and slamming into it hard, sending it flying across the battlefield and into Geoff's arms. The Riolu groaned in pain, but yelped in surprise after Geoff dropped it on the ground.

"Stop fooling around and beat that thing. You know you're better than this." Geoff said darkly, clenching his fists in frustration. "I was hoping to not have to use you, but the others are worn out from yesterday. But that's alright...You know what'll happen if you let me down again, right?"

The Riolu shakily nodded and limped back onto the battlefield proper. Laura called for Ice Beam, which the Riolu dodged with another Quick Attack. The Riolu attacked fast and hard, which surprised Laura considering how small the Pokémon was. However, her Blastoise had experience and stamina over the swift wolf-like creature, and one surprise Mega Punch was all it took to floor the Riolu again.

"Finish this off with Hydro Pump, Blastoise!" Laura called out as Blastoise cried out, aiming its cannons.

"Endure!" Geoff bellowed as Riolu crash-landed on the ground. The Aura Pokémon shakily got to its feet as Blastoise fired another powerful twin blast of water at him, and held his arms out in front of him as his body glowed a faint red color. The torrent of water slammed into Riolu, making it scream in pain as the incredible pressure from the attack bore down on it. It fell to one knee, its red glow flickering, but it still refused to give up. When Blastoise finally relented the attack, the Riolu dropped to the ground, panting heavily from pain and exhaustion.

"Get up." Geoff said to the Riolu, who looked forward with a worried expression. He knew this was coming. He had let down his Trainer again...And now he would be punished.

"I said...get up." Geoff hissed as the shaking Riolu opened its eyes. Sun looked around and saw that his friends wore looks of concern and anger. A glance at the commentators booth showed that had Cynthia covered her mouth in horror as the small wolf-like Pokémon rose once again, swaying on its feet and shaking in pain. Kahili was scowling in rage while Professor Oak looked disgusted.

"That poor Riolu...He looks scared out of his mind. He's definitely in no shape to battle any further." Professor Oak said as he crossed his arms.

Laura looked conflicted, unsure if it was okay to attack the barely-standing Pokémon. Geoff helped her make up her mind by ordering one himself. "Focus Blast!" Geoff barked, throwing out a hand. The Riolu shut its eyes as it held out its palms, which flickered with light. The Pokémon began shaking violently before it suddenly collapsed onto the ground, unable to muster the energy to stand, let alone attack.

"Get up! What are you doing?" Geoff demanded of the Riolu as it shut its eyes, shaking in pain and fear. Several people in the audience began muttering to themselves.

"And that looks like this match is over, folks! Laura Smiles advances to the next-" Adrian began to say, but he was cut off by a shout.

"No! It can still fight!" Geoff barked at Adrian, who seemed taken aback. Geoff swore softly, striding over to the Riolu. "Get up, damn it!"

The Riolu weakly began to shift on the ground, and Geoff's expression twisted into a terrifying scowl. "I said...get to your damn feet. We can still win this."

"You've lost. That Riolu can't even move anymore, and I still have two Pokémon left. Just concede." Laura said quietly, making Geoff glare at her for a moment before he finally sighed and returned the Emanation Pokémon, though not without one final word as he looked down at the Poké Ball in his hand.

"That's alright. My message hasn't sunken in yet. It will soon though."

Geoff walked off the battlefield without another word as Adrian declared Laura Smiles the winner, though the woman just stared after the cold Trainer with a worried expression, wondering how someone could be so cruel to their Pokémon like that.

Sun grit his teeth in anger at seeing the young man's treatment of his Riolu. Sun felt a soft hand grab his, and he looked at Lillie to see looking likewise worried. Sun sighed and squeezed the girl's hand for a moment before releasing it. Laura Smiles joined them a few minutes later, looking troubled.

"I don't think I've seen a Trainer treat his own Pokémon so badly in quite some time." Laura remarked as she sat down next to Sun.

"We met that jerk yesterday. He shoved Lillie and tried to start a fight with me." Sun said to Laura, who's expression darkened. She glanced at Jack after a few moments.

"Would you be willing to look the other way if I tracked down Geoff and broke his kneecaps?" Laura asked the Commander, who smirked.

"I wouldn't mind. Gretel stepped in yesterday to make sure nothing happened. And Sun, to answer your unspoken question about that Riolu, Alola's outdated laws prevent the law from stepping in about Pokémon abuse. It's up to the Trainer to decide how a Pokémon is trained, since brutal training measures have been around for centuries. It's not the law's place to decide how a Trainer trains and treats his or her Pokémon, unless it actually needs medical treatment at say, a Pokémon Center or a hospital." Jack explained, making Laura and Sun both stand up at that. Lillie, Korrina and Clemont likewise looked appalled.

"That's barbaric! Anyone could see that the Riolu down there didn't even want to fight!" Clemont yelled out, with Jack nodding.

"As I said, it's an antiquated law. I pushed for it to be abolished back in the day, but I didn't make much headway against some of the hard-headed Elders on the Ula'Ula and Heahea City Counsels. And a certain bastard who threw a lot of money around." Jack remarked, scowling after a moment.

"Alright folks! Next up in our lineup is what's sure to be an instant classic! We've got Alola's very own Sunshine Smiles taking on the renowned Mega Evolution Master of Shalour City, Korrina!" Adrian boomed, snapping everyone out of the conversation.

"I'm n-not really a master though..." Korrina said bashfully, looking embarrassed. Clemont looked to his girlfriend, fire in his eyes as he stood up.

"Nonsense! You're making strides in the field of Mega Evolution research! You're already Gurkinn's Successor! Now go out there and show them why you're so awesome!" Clemont said passionately, making Korrina blush bright pink.

"You can do it Korrina!" Bonnie cheered happily, looking at Sun and saying, "Please lose so these two can go on a romantic victory date. I'll pay you."

"Sorry Bonnie, but I really want to battle her. Maybe next time." Sun said to the disappointed girl before he looked at Korrina, who was grinning. The Gym Leader bent down and kissed Clemont, making the teen blush dark red in response.

"Good luck Korrina! Kick some butt!" Bonnie chirped as Korrina hugged the little girl.

"Um…" Sun turned to see Lillie looking at Sun with an unsure expression. She smiled after a moment and said, "Do your best, Sun."

"I always do." Sun said with a smile as Laura suddenly snatched Sun up in a hug from behind. She let the blushing Sun down after a moment, smiling proudly at him as Sun smiled back at his mother. Without another word, he and Korrina made their way down to the battlefield, taking two different paths that led to opposite ends of the stadium.

Sun was still grinning as Korrina skated onto the battlefield proper, wearing a matching grin as she spun into place. Adrian hyped up the match in his usual fashion and both Trainers drew a Poké Ball, their blood boiling for another showdown in front of thousands and thousands of people.

"Begin!"

"Finn, let's start this off!" Sun yelled, calling out his Poliwag. Finn smirked as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, excited for another chance to battle.

"Alright. Hawlucha! Let's go!" Korrina yelled, calling forth a Pokémon Sun had never seen before. Rotom began to explain what the dealio was.

"Hawlucha. The Wrestling Pokémon. Although its body is small, its proficient fighting skills enable it to keep up with big bruisers like Machamp and Hariyama. With its wings, it controls its position in the air. It likes to attack from above, a maneuver that is difficult to defend against." Rotom explained as Sun nodded slowly.

"Finn, use-" Sun began to say, but Rotom beeped to cut him off.

"Zzzt! By the way, Finn can use Rain Dance now." Rotom said cheerily, landing on Sun's shoulder.

"Wait, what? Since when?"

"A few dayzz ago, actually. I just forgot to mention it. Bzzt!"

"...That would've helped a lot yesterday."

"I know. Now go get 'em!" Rotom cheered as Sun turned back forward, grinning ahead at Korrina, who opted for the first move.

"Hawlucha, use Work up!" Korrina called out, with Hawlucha shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath before her entire body flashed red. She opened her eyes several long moments later and was surprised when a Poliwag was diving at her through the air.

"Doubleslap! Follow up with Scald!" Sun called out as the Poliwag bounced off of the head of Hawlucha, whirling around and slapping it four times before bouncing away to avoid a Karate Chop that Korrina called out. Finn shot a jet of boiling hot water at the Wrestling Pokémon, making it screech in pain.

"Aerial Ace!" Korrina shouted, with Hawlucha suddenly kicking off of the ground with a trail of white energy behind it as the Flying/Fighting-type smashed into Finn, sending him tumbling backwards. The Tadpole Pokémon landed on his feet with a grimace.

"Alright Finn...Rain Dance!" Sun called out, with the Poliwag grinning widely as a ball of energy formed within his mouth. The Poliwag hopped into the air and fired the ball skyward, with it exploding into a cloud of mist. Clouds quickly formed and rain began falling all around the battlefield. Rotom beeped in protest and dove into Sun's backpack. Meanwhile, Korrina just groaned in annoyance.

"Ugh, I just had to wear white today!" Korrina lamented, crossing her arms over her chest. Sun blinked a few times before blushing bright pink, realizing what he had done as he spotted the Gym Leader's blue bra coming into view through her drenched shirt. Thankfully the girl was wearing black shorts, but still not exactly a great situation for the teen to be in.

"S-sorry Korrina. Uh...Finn, use Scald!" Sun commanded the Poliwag, who nodded and fired off a much more powerful blast of burning water.

"Dodge and use Wing Attack! Follow up with Karate Chop!" Korrina commanded, with the Hawlucha dashing forward. As the Scald Attack drew closer, the Wrestling Pokémon did a rather stylish leap into the air to dodge the attack before gliding over to Finn, delivering a double Wing Attack with both arms and following up with a Karate Chop that sent the Poliwag flying into the air and crashing back down onto the ground hard.

"Finn, can you get up?" Sun asked the Poliwag, who rolled onto his feet, panting hard.

"That thing hits really hard!" Finn replied, wincing in pain. Sun ordered him to use Water Gun, which he did with gusto.

"Hawlucha, jump into the air to dodge and use Flying Press!" Korrina commanded. The Hawlucha kicked off of the ground and soared high into the air, easily dodging the blast of water as she threw out her arms and struck a pose in midair.

"Finn, use Bubble to protect yourself and then use...Finn?" Sun stopped his command mid-sentence, surprised at how Finn was staring at the Hawlucha with an enraptured look on his face.

"So...cool." Finn murmured as he stared up at the Hawlucha, even as it descended downwards. Finn jerked out of his stupor as the bird plummeted downwards and barely avoided getting crushed by her by firing off a Water Gun to push himself out of the way.

"Looks like my Hawlucha has a fan." Korrina joked as her Hawlucha stood upright, getting into a fighting stance.

"I can't wait until I get arms." Finn said quietly, his smile widening in excitement. Sun wasn't sure what to make of this, but instead threw out a hand and ordered a Bubble Beam attack. Finn unleashed the attack at Hawlucha, who wasn't able to avoid the blast and was struck by the stream of powerful bubbles.

"Hawlucha, use Power-Up Punch!" Korrina shouted. The Hawlucha rushed forward, both of its fists glowing orange. Sun was ready though.

"Hypnosis!" Sun called out, with Korrina's eyes widening in horror as Finn's eyes flashed blue. Hawlucha's sprint forward began to slow, drowsiness creeping into the bones of the Wrestling Pokémon. Soon enough the Hawlucha was kneeling on the ground, snoring softly.

"Come on, wake up!" Korrina yelled.

"Finn, end this with Scald!" Sun yelled, punching forward as Finn unleashed one more Scald. The blast of burning water made the Hawlucha scream in pain and collapse onto the ground, finally knocked out.

"And with an suddenly shift in strategy, Sun's Poliwag takes the win! How will Korrina respond?" Adrian asked slyly as the teen returned her Hawlucha, quietly thanking her for a hard-fought battle. She quickly called out her second Pokémon, a small yellow and red bipedal Pokémon that Sun had never seen before, much like Hawlucha. But thankfully Rotom had his back.

"Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokémon. In fights, they dominate with onslaughts of flowing, continuous attacks. With their sharp claws, they cut enemies. It takes pride in the speed at which it can use moves. What it loses in power, it makes up for in quantity." Rotom explained as Sun watched the new arrival with a grimace as it got into a fighting stance. As it did so, both Trainers noticed that the rain was lightening up and the clouds were vanishing.

"Great. That helps us a bit. Mienfoo, use Brick Break!" Korrina called out. Mienfoo dashed forward with alarming speed, delivering a powerful chop to the battered Poliwag with one fluid movement that sent Finn to the ground.

"Hit it with Scald!" Sun called out as Finn rose to his feet, only able to keep one eye open after the beating he had endured up to this point. However, he was still able to hit the speedy Pokémon with a powerful Scald that made her screech in pain.

"Mienfoo, use Pound!" Korrina yelled out, with the Mienfoo rushing forward.

"Dodge and use Bubblebeam!" Sun called out. The boy was surprised when Finn chose to kick off of the ground and backflip into the air, drawing surprised gasps from the crowd before blasting Mienfoo with a barrage of bubbles, stopping Mienfoo in its tracks. Finn landed on the ground, his body heaving as he tried to keep himself going. Sun knew he couldn't last much longer. He was getting better, but he was facing opponents much, much stronger than him.

"Get in close with Doubleslap, then Hypnosis!" Sun commanded as Finn ran forward, kicking off of the ground and spinning around as his tail glowed white.

"Detect!" Korrina barked out. Mienfoo's eyes gleamed white for a moment and the Martial Arts Pokémon sidestepped the attack, making Finn land on the ground awkwardly and stumble forward. He looked up to see Mienfoo reaching towards him, with Korrina grinning victoriously.

"Force Palm!" Korrina yelled out as Mienfoo pressed her hand against Finn's head. A massive blast of energy erupted from the small Pokémon's hand, sending Finn hurtling backwards and into the faraway wall with a massive crash. The Poliwag remained stuck in the wall for a few moments before dropping to the ground, unconscious.

"And Korrina bounces back with an fantastic display! How does Sun respond?" Adrian said as Sun recalled Finn, looking down at the Poké Ball.

"You really did fantastic out there. You're really improving." Sun said as he clipped the ball to his belt and pulled out another.

"Brago, let's go!" Sun yelled out, throwing out his Poké Ball and releasing the fiery dog. Brago's eyes narrowed at the Mienfoo, who took a step back as Intimidate struck her. Sun noticed that the canine seemed to be back to normal for now, which was what he was hoping for. He was really starting to get worried about both him and Oliver, though the latter seemed to be holding himself together well enough. Brago was the more urgent case right now.

"I'm looking forward to this. I have some pent up aggression to work off." Brago growled, crouching low as his tail swayed back and forth.

"Then let's get to it. Flame Charge!" Sun called up, with the canine dashing forward with a grunt. Brago became a living wreath of flames that surged towards Mienfoo, who growled softly and threw out her hands.

"Use Rock Slide!" Korrina called out. Mienfoo let out a cry as a portal opened up from above, raining down boulders as Brago charged towards the opposing Pokémon with narrowed eyes. Brago charged forward, jumping around and trying to dodge the barrage of rocks. To Sun's relief he managed it, and got close to Mienfoo and slammed into her, making the Martial Arts Pokémon skid backwards with a pained expression.

"Use Power-Up Punch!" Korrina barked, with Mienfoo rushing forward and delivering a wicked punch to Brago's face. The canine retaliated by rearing his head back and biting down on the Meinfoo's arm and swinging her around for a moment before throwing her to the ground.

"Pokémon that take their own initiative in battle always throw me off. Yet another sign of how skilled you are, Sun." Korrina praised the boy with a smile as her Mienfoo rose to her feet. "But that won't win you this battle. Focus Blast!"

Mienfoo held out its hands as a ball of energy formed in them, quickly firing off towards Brago, who couldn't avoid it due to how close he was to the Martial Arts Pokémon and was blasted across the battlefield.

"Brago!" Sun called out as the smoke around his Growlithe began to clear. Sun sighed with relief as he saw the Growlithe getting to his feet, looking annoyed and battered but ready to keep fighting.

"Brago, use Flame Charge!" Sun called out, with Brago charging forward as an aura of flames surrounded him. Korrina called for Mienfoo to use Power-Up Punch, so as the canine rushed forward and slammed into Mienfoo, the other Pokémon was decking Brago in the face and made him stumble backwards with a howl of pain.

"Use Ember! Follow up with Flame Charge!" Sun called out, with Brago spitting out a burst of flames as Mienfoo rushed forward with another Power-Up Punch. The Mienfoo tried to jump to avoid the attack, but the flames smashed into the lower half of the Mienfoo, making it wince in pain as it swung wildly at Brago upon landing on the ground. The attack missed the canine as he dove forward and collided with the Martial Arts Pokémon, making her fall to the ground with a shout of pain. As the Mienfoo got back up, however Sun noticed that it was clutching its right leg with a pained expression. Upon closer inspection, Sun realized that the Mienfoo had burns all around its right leg from the Ember attack.

"Alright, this is...Brago?" Sun trailed off mid-sentence as he noticed Brago breathing out flames in a continued burst, grinning to himself.

"There it is. I was wondering what this feeling was." Brago said with a satisfied smile as he looked back towards Sun. Rotom popped out of Sun's backpack with with the answer to Sun;s unspoken question.

"Bzzt! Wowwie! Brago just learned Flame Burst!" Rotom declared. Sun grinned widely at this. Two new moves in one battle? He couldn't ask for a better stroke of luck.

"Nice work Brago! You ready?"Sun asked the Growlithe, who crouched low and nodded.

"Alright...Brago, Flame Burst!" Sun yelled out. Brago opened his mouth and let loose a stream of fire that coalesced into a massive fireball, which exploded outwards into several smaller balls of fire that rushed towards Mienfoo as it watched impassively from the ground.

"Dodge and get in close! Then Power-Up Punch!" Korrina shouted, punching the air. Mienfoo dashed forward, darting around the streams of fire as they rained down from above. However, thanks to the burn on its leg, the Mienfoo wasn't able to get close enough to Brago before being blasted by three of the fireballs and dropping onto the ground, unable to continue fighting.

"And Korrina's Mienfoo falls to Sun's Growlithe's new move! With just one Pokémon left, can Korrina turn the tides of battle?" Adrian asked as Korrina grinned at Ash.

"You've raised your team well. I'll have to go all-out if I want to win this! Lucario, let's go!" Korrina yelled out as she called forth her strongest Pokémon. Lucario stood tall as it emerged from the light, glaring down Brago as it cross its arms. Brago growled softly, baring his teeth.

"Flame Wheel!" Sun yelled out, with Brago leaping into the air to becoming a whirling wheel of fire. Korrina was surprised by how quickly the attack formed and was now racing towards her prized Pokémon, thanks to the repeated uses of Flame Charge.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Korrina called out, with Lucario holding his palms close together and forming a swirling ball of blue energy. The Aura Pokémon released the attack as Brago drew closer, directly hitting the dog and creating an explosion in midair. To their horror, Brago's attack continued and he smashed into Lucario, making it snarl in pain as it went flying backwards. Brago dropped onto the ground, panting with his tongue out as his legs trembled.

"Brago!" Sun called out.

"I...would not want...to get hit by that again." Brago wheezed, shaking his head as Lucario rose to its feet, clutching its chest. It held then held out its paw, which was covered in a red glove much like Korrina's. Embedded within it was a strange gem.

"That's one tough pup! Lady Korrina will have to bust out all the stops for this, Sun. You should be honored!" Korrina said as she held out her glove, which began to glow with light. Sun paled in horror as what he recognized as a Key Stone began to glow, with Lucario beginning to glow as well. A pink shell encased the Aura Pokémon as Korrina began to speak.

"From the bonds we share, our greatest strength shall come forth! United in heart and soul, we shall overcome any obstacle!" Korrina shouted, her words burning with emotion as the shell around Lucario exploded outwards, revealing a much stronger looking creature covered in more spikes with splotches of crimson coloring its fur. To Sun's surprise, Rotom began to speak up.

"Mega Lucario. The Aura Pokémon and the Mega Evolution of Lucario. Black streaks all over its body show where its auras and the energy of Mega Evolution intermingled and raced through readies itself to face its enemies by focusing its mental energies. Its fighting style can be summed up in a single word: heartless." Rotom said as Sun shivered slightly at the ominous Pokédex entry. Mega Lucario exhaled harshly as its wild eyes snapped open, which only made Brago bare his teeth at the Aura Pokémon.

"You don't scare me…" Brago growled, his tail wagging slightly. Sun smiled at that, and it reignited his drive to overcome this challenge and win the battle.

"And there we have it folks! Our first showcase of Mega Evolution! With this development, Sun will indeed have to bust out all the stops to come out victorious!" Adrian proclaimed as the crowd's cheers doubled in strength.

"Brago, use Flame Burst!" Sun commanded, with Brago releasing the stream of fire that imploded a few moments later, streaking towards Mega Lucario.

"Use Bone Rush!" Korrina called out, with Mega Lucario summoning a blue bone of energy and sprinting forward. Sun's eyes widened in surprise as the Mega Lucario battered away the fireballs like they were nothing and drew closer to Brago, who bared his teeth and prepared himself to attack.

"Ember!" Sun ordered as Mega Lucario spun the bone in the air and swung it downwards. The wolf-like Pokémon grit its teeth in pain as the flames smashed into it, but this didn't stop the Aura Pokémon from smashing its Bone Club over Brago's head. What followed was nothing short of a beating as Mega Lucario smashed its glowing staff of bone into Brago from all angles with ruthless aggression,a haunting snarl on its face as it beat Brago with the bone it wielded like a staff. Sun could see Brago fading fast, especially due to how the attack was super-effective against him, and the boy knew he needed a way out of this...

Then it hit him.

"Reversal!" Sun shouted as Brago was knocked backwards by a particularly strong smack from the bone. As Mega Lucario rushed forward to deliver its final blow with an overhead swing, Brago's eyes snapped open and a red outline surrounded the canine. Brago lunged forward and slammed into Mega Lucario, making the Aura Pokémon snarl in pain and go flying backwards across the battlefield, having to use its bone to stop the movement by stabbing it into the ground. Brago collapsed onto the ground, shaking from the pain that he was in, but he still rose to his feet a few moments later.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Korrina called out. Sun called for Brago to dodge the attack, but with how exhausted the Puppy Pokémon was, he couldn't move quick enough to dodge and was easily knocked out. As Adrian recapped what just happened with incredible enthusiasm, Sun returned Brago.

"Brago...you were amazing like always." Sun said quietly to the Poké Ball, clipping it to his belt. He debated which of his two birds to use against such a powerful opponent, and after a moment's thought decided to go with Penny. Sun called out the Toucannon, who landed calmly on the ground and glared at the Aura Pokémon.

"This one's strong, Penny. You ready for a rough battle?" Sun asked the bird, who turned back towards him with a small smile.

"As always." Penny replied before she turned back towards Mega Lucario, flaring her wings.

"Heh...This is gonna be fun." Korrina whispered, standing tall as she held out her Mega Glove towards Sun. "Let's hold nothing back, Sun!"

"Right back at you! This is the first Mega Evolution I've ever fought!" Sun called back, grinning as he held up his Z-Ring. "And just like you, I have something that allows me to show off the bond I have with my Pokémon."

"Z-Power vs. Mega Evolution...Let's do this!" Korrina cheered, punching her fist forward as the crowd cheered loudly. "Use Aura Sphere!"

"Penny, dodge and use Pluck!" Sun commanded, with Penny launching herself into the air as Mega Lucario charged up an Aura Sphere in both of his hands, throwing them like baseballs towards the airborne Toucannon. Penny flapped her wings hard to avoid the first and veered right to dodge the second, slamming into the stomach of Mega Lucario hard. The Aura Pokémon stumbled backwards with a grunt, but retaliated with an Aura Sphere that sent Penny crashing to the ground with a scream of pain.

"Penny, use Echoed Voice! Follow up with Hidden Power!" Sun called out, with Penny painfully flying into the air and releasing a blast of sound at Mega Lucario.

"Intercept with Flash Cannon! Then use Quick Attack and Metal Claw!" Korrina shouted, with Mega Lucario quickly charging up a beam of energy and releasing a massive white and blue-colored blast that easily tore apart the attack. Penny swooped low to avoid the blast and with Sun's command fired off Hidden Power at Mega Lucario. The Aura Pokémon barreled through the attack and slammed into Penny, slashing into her with Metal Claw and making the bird scream in pain.

"Penny, Brick Break!" Sun called out. Penny's beak glowed bright white and she slammed it into Mega Lucario's head, sending it crashing to the ground with a snarl. It landed on its feet, clutching its head as it glared up at Penny.

"Penny, use Rock Smash! Follow up with Supersonic!" Sun called out, with Penny swooping low and smashing her glowing beak into Mega Lucario's chest as it tried to move away, causing the wolf to growl as it went skidding backwards.

"Metal Sound! Then use Aura Sphere!" Korrina called out as Mega Lucario slammed the spikes on its hands together, howling in unison. The sound easily washed over the Supersonic and made Sun clamp his hands over his ears, allowing Mega Lucario to easily hit Penny out of the air with Aura Sphere. The Toucannon crashed onto the ground, covered in scratches and wincing in pain.

"Mega Lucario's attacks might not be very effective, but they don't need to be effective since they hit way harder now. Penny won't last much longer if she keeps getting hit." Sun thought with a wince as he moved his hands away from his ears. "Let's see...Lucario is a Fighting/Steel-type Pokémon from what I remember. That means Brago's attacks from earlier did a good bit of damage. That also means that Penny's Flying-type moves won't do much, I think. Brick Break and Rock Smash are a better bet...But I can also make sure Mega Lucario's moves do way less damage too." Sun thought, a smirk coming to his lips.

"Penny, use Beak Blast!" Sun ordered the Toucannon, who nodded and shut her eyes as her beak began to glow.

"Use Quick Attack to get close so she doesn't have time to use that attack! And then Power-Up Punch! Let her have it!" Korrina shouted as Mega Lucario rushed forward with two burning fists, swinging them both down with a roar of fury as he met Penny in midair. Penny's eyes snapped open and she blocked both attacks with her scorching beak, though the pain from the attacks did make the Toucannon shut her eyes tight in response. Meanwhile Mega Lucario snarled in pain from having touched the super-heated beak of Penny.

"What move was that? I'll admit I'm not familiar with the Toucannon species." Cynthia asked, surprised at how much pain the Mega Lucario seemed to be in. She was even more surprised when Penny opened her beak and allowed the heat building to explode outwards, knocking Mega Lucario back as Beak Blast smashed into it.

"Beak Blast. A move that burns an attacking opponent and deals a great deal of damage after a short charge. It's Toucannon's signature move." Kahili explained as she regarded Sun with amusement. "A truly skillful display." Kahili added with a smile as Mega Lucario flew backwards and crashed onto the ground, snarling in pain as he looked down at the horrible burns on his hands. Even Korrina looked worried, but Sun was already taking advantage of their distraction to turn to the tides.

"Brick Break! Follow up with Supersonic!" Sun called out as Penny swooped down, charging up her beak and bringing it down on the head of Mega Lucario, making it roar in agony and topple to the ground. The confusing blast of sound that hit Mega Lucario a moment later didn't help.

"Lucario, get up! We've almost got them!" Korrina yelled out, but even she couldn't get Mega Lucario to come to its senses in time to stop Sun's next move. Penny landed on the ground in front of Sun, breathing heavy after the brutal showdown she had been through so far. And if everything went Sun's way, this is where it would end.

"Penny! Let's show them the strength of our bond! Let's give this everything we've got!" Sun yelled out as he began to strike a series of poses, with a barely-standing Penny mirroring Sun's movements. As the boy delivered a series of punches to the air, energy flowed between Trainer and Pokémon, allowing them to share the same spirit and mind. Together, their strength would become something truly incredible. Sun would show the world his fighting spirit and Penny would show everyone how far she had come since she had joined her Trainer on his quest.

"Penny, channel Brick Break...And use All-Out Pummeling!" Sun bellowed as Penny suddenly shot forward with an echoing screech, her beak burning a harsh orange color as the surprised Mega Lucario braced himself an attack. However, the fist-like jabs energy emerging from her beak slammed into Mega Lucario hard enough to send the Aura Pokémon backwards with every super-effective hit. Penny then launched herself high into the air and did a backwards loop, using the extra momentum to shoot forward as a burning missile of energy and ram into Mega Lucario, carrying him all the way to the other side of the stadium where she slammed him into the barrier. Korrina watched in awe as Penny fluttered away, leaving Mega Lucario to limply drop down onto the ground, reverting to its normal form as it did so. After several moments of silence, Adrian called the match.

"And there we have it folks! An incredible showcase between the best and brightest Alola and Kalos have to offer! Z-Moves vs. Mega Evolution! And in the end, it was Sun who came out on top!" Adrian bellowed as Sun bent down to hug Penny, thanking her for such a hard-fought win. Korrina returned her Lucario sadly, though she smiled as she made her way over to Sun.

"That was an amazing battle. I can't believe you actually managed to beat Lucario's Mega Evolution...I guess that means I have a lot more to learn." Korrina said as she extended a hand to Sun, who happily shook it. "You're a really gifted Trainer, Sun. I hope you hold onto those powerful bonds and use them to take you far in life."

"Thanks Korrina. How about someday with have a rematch?" Sun asked the teen, who beamed at him.

"You're on!" Korrina chirped as the crowd roared loudly in approval, ecstatic that such an incredible match took place. Meanwhile at the commentator's panel, Cynthia wore a small smile.

"To overcome a Mega Evolution in such a manner...truly a remarkable display." Cynthia said quietly, grinning in excitement. "I wonder what kind of Trainer that child will become."

"I sense it too. That boy is no regular Trainer. I believe he's something special." Professor Oak said with a small smile, crossing his arms. "Years of nurturing and aiding young Trainers on their journeys have given me a knack for seeing things like this. And I can tell that boy will go far."

Kahili nodded as Sun and Korrina left the battlefield, adding, "He didn't back down, even when facing a monster strong enough to even give me pause. As someone who's seen him when things get dicey, I can assure you this kid is the real deal."

"Then I suppose we'll have to see more of what he has to offer in the final day of the Tournament, hmm?" Cynthia remarked, laughing lightly as Adrian hyped up the next match in the tournament, the excited crowd ready for more action, especially after such a hot battle.


The event progressed for several more hours. In that time, the rest of their group battled. Mallow, Hugh, Vivian, and Lana were eliminated in very close match-ups while Noah and Aria made it through the next round. Hau battled and won against a Pokémon Breeder named Lyra from Johto, who Professor Burnet claimed to be friends with. The group watched Gladion battle Crasher Wake, coming out victorious. Sun didn't noticed Lillie watching the match intently, the grip on her bag tight enough to make her knuckles go white.

After each of them had battled, Professor Burnet rose to her feet, saying, "Well, I think now's a good time as any for a food break."

None of the group had any problems with that. Sun opted to go check out the festival further, and to his delight Lillie agreed to go with him. After getting teased by Laura and Mallow, the duo made their way through the stadium, grabbing snacks and just enjoying some people-watching while they chatted. Sun and Lillie discussed some of the battles they saw, with Lillie praising Sun for his victory over Korrina.

After about an hour, Lillie heard a familiar voice speak aloud, making her blood freeze. Instinctively she hid behind Sun, who looked worried for a moment before he spotted a familiar man in a white uniform suddenly step out from the bathroom. It was one of the men who had chased her when she was escaping from the Aether Paradise all those months ago!

"Aether Foundation...Why are they here!?" Lillie thought as she shivered in fear, with Sun looking behind himself at her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sun asked the girl. Lillie was about to respond when the man in white turned towards them. The man's eyes widened in surprise and his hand went to the walkie-talkie at his waist. Lillie took that moment to sprint in the opposite direction, leaving a confused Sun behind. Sun began to run after her, but he was shoved violently into the wall by the man in white as he chased after Lillie.

"I've found Miss Lillie! I repeat! I've found Miss Lillie!" the man shouted in his radio, trying to keep line of sight on the elusive girl. Lillie ducked and weaved through the excited masses, her heart beating with sheer terror as she fled from the Aether Foundation. She then realized her mistake.

She needed to find her friends again! She needed to get Nebby to safety!

She was so distracted by those thoughts that she collided head-first into someone very solid. Lillie tumbled to the ground with a cry, looking up and seeing a vaguely familiar woman with long brown hair and bright brown eyes, looking down at her with an amused expression. In her hands was a grey and lilac-colored Pokémon Egg, safely contained within an incubator. She wore a rather simple red sundress with a large red and white hat on her head.

"You might need to watch where you're going." The woman said with a smile, extending a hand down to Lillie. The girl accepted it, though she glanced behind her and saw that the Aether Foundation employee was close behind, searching the crowds with a scowl on his face. The woman seemed to catch onto what was going on, because she asked, "Do you need some help?" the woman asked kindly, with Lillie whirling around and nodding quickly in response.

"There are some bad people after me. Th-they wear all-white. They're t-trying to...to…" Lillie trailed off, her panic getting the better of her and making her fumble her words. Thankfully the woman steered the girl away from the main path and to a small cafe nearby.

"Okay! Sit here." The woman ordered, pushing Lillie into a seat. The woman called out a Azumarill and said, "Make sure no one touches this girl. If something happens, distraction tactic #37. Got it!"

"Mairrr!" the large aquatic mouse replied with a nod. Lillie was half-confused, half-thankful as the woman patted her Pokémon on the head.

"T-thank you...Um, Miss…?" Lillie trailed off, with the woman giving her a cheery smile.

"Lyra. And don't you worry. Leave everything to me!" the woman said as she placed the Pokémon Egg directly in front of Lillie, blocking her from direct view. Lyra took off Lillie's hat, grinning widely as she set it down on the ground. "Perfect. I'll deter them if they come by, but you should be good if you stay hidden."

Lillie huddled behind the egg and shivered as the sound of several boots stomping by the area. Lillie shivered as she heard the unpleasant voice of Branch Chief Faba snarl in fury. "Curse it all! That little bitch will be the death of me!"

"Sir, that's kinda overkill." One of the female employee said, sounding uncomfortable with the man's language.

"I don't care! She's holding up our research! My research! Research that will change the course of history! We must find her, no matter what it takes." Faba growled as he adjusted his glasses, his glare traveling to everyone around him. The man spotted Lyra standing in the entrance of the cafe and his eyes narrowed, the man stomping towards the woman who had overheard every word of what had been said. Faba smirked after a moment as his anger cooled, with the man lowering his glasses as he spotted a bit of white hat on the floor within the cafe. However, Lyra's next action sort-of drove any thoughts of Lillie out of Faba's mind for sure.

"Gah! Stranger danger!" Lyra screamed, suddenly pulling out a small can of mace from her purse and spraying it Faba's face. Lyra followed this up by kicking him inbetween his legs, turning a bad day for Faba into something much, much worse.

"Aeeeeiigghhhh!" Faba screeched as he clutched his eyes, tears streaming down his face as he staggered back and fell over a trash can with a strangled groan. Lillie peaked out from behind the egg and stifled a giggle at seeing Faba sprawled on the ground, sobbing in pain as he rubbed his eyes and held his crushed family jewels.

"Wait...you're not my ex-boyfriend!" Lyra suddenly proclaimed, putting a hand to her chest and sounding surprised, though she fooled absolutely no one. "I'm sorry. You kinda have that whole, 'I'm gonna tie you up and do bad things to you' kind of vibe, you know? Wait, is that too much for a T-Rated story?"

"No! I...I-I don't...Damn it, woman, why did you have to spray me with that!? This is assault!" Faba sobbed as several more Aether Foundation members arrived. Some of them pulled out their phones and took pictures as Faba struggled to get to his feet while Lyra subtly posed for their pictures, grinning widely the whole time. Lillie wondered just who this woman was, but decided to just keep hidden and say a silent prayer for Nebby to remain quiet for now.

"I swear I saw her ma'am! She was wearing the same dress and everything!" the man from before yelled out. To Lillie's horror, the voice of the person she feared most spoke at that moment, having just arrived on the scene.

"Then spread out and search harder. I don't care what it takes. Find my little flower." Lusamine said coldly as she strutted by, her heels clacking loudly as she drew closer.

"Mother...Why are you here?" Lillie thought with a shiver. "And how did you know I'd be here?"

"Faba...stop playing around." Lusamine said quietly as Faba struggled to his feet, whining in pain. Wicke snickered as Faba grabbed a nearby employee and used them to pull himself up, panting as he tried to wipe away the mace from his eyes. Lusamine turned her gaze to Lyra, who shrugged.

"Sorry. He looked hella creepy, so I kinda jumped the Sharpedo." Lyra said with an apologetic smile. Lusamine smiled at the woman, offering her a small shrug in return.

"I understand. Faba does give off that vibe sometimes." Lusamine remarked with a small chuckle, earning a hurt half-blinded look from Faba. "By the way, I do love your hat. It goes so well with your outfit."

"Thanks! Your dress is on a whole other level though! It's really eye-catching! Where'd you get it, if you don't mind me asking?" Lyra asked, with Lusamine grinning at the woman.

"An old friend of mine from back in Kalos. He's retired now, so there's sadly no chance of him going public with the design. And as much as I'd love to trade fashion tips, we do have business to attend to." Lusamine said with a small smile, nodding to Lyra. The woman waved at the Aether Foundation as they began walking away, several of them muttering to themselves while Faba was carried off to wash out the mace from his eyes. Only Miss Wicke remained, grinning at Faba's retreating figure. She cast a glance at Lyra, who gave her a suspicious look. Wicke walked over to her, still smiling.

"I cannot thank you enough for doing that to him. There's literally no one else in the world who deserved that more than Faba." Wicke said to Lyra, who grinned in response.

"Anytime. Guy looked like a creeper." Lyra remarked with a shrug.

"You have no idea. Anyways…" Wicke trailed off, her smile fading slightly. "If there happens to be an adorable blonde-haired girl lurking somewhere around here...Do let her know that I have faith in her. I'll do my best to try to keep them distracted. Okay?" Wicke said to Lyra, who blinked several times.

"No idea what you're talking about." Lyra said with a another shrug. Wicke nodded and departed, and after Lyra was sure they were all gone heaved a sigh of relief. The woman walked over to Lillie, who rose from her seat with a grateful smile.

"See? No worries. Now...are you going to be alright on your own?" Lyra asked the girl as she sat back down. Lillie seemed hesitant. To her surprise, though, Lana popped up around the corner, looking somewhat out of breath.

"There you are! Sun couldn't find you after you two got separated after some guys started chasing you. What happened?" Lana asked Lillie as she walked past Lyra and hugged the girl. Lyra looked confused, but Lillie held up her phone.

"I texted my friends and explained where I was and that I was hiding, just in case. Thank you so much for helping me out." Lillie said to Lyra, who grinned back at the girl and patted her on the head before scooping up Lillie's hat, neatly setting it on the teenager's head.

"Hehehe! No worries! Lyra is always happy to help those in need!" the woman proclaimed, winking at them both. "If you ever need anything, or need a Pokémon Breeder, just give me a shout!"

Lyra then handed Lillie a business card from within her purse, which surprised the girl. Upon reading it, she learned that Lyra owned the Pokémon Daycare in the Johto region. Lillie looked up as Lyra tipped her hat to her, saying, "Just be careful out there, okay? You kinda got lucky here, and luck won't save you every time."

"I know...I'm sorry." Lillie said quietly, bowing to the woman. Lyra's smile dropped at that and she waved her hands.

"Oh no! It's fine! I'm happy to help! Always!" Lyra said awkwardly, grinning at the two teens. "Anyways, I do need to meet my boyfriend for a secret lunch date, so you two take care!"

"Bye Miss Lyra! Thanks for everything!" Lillie said to the woman as she pranced off with her Azumarill in tow.

"So what happened?" Lana asked Lillie, who sighed deeply in response.

"It's a long story…"


Sun yanked his phone out of his pocket, sighing with relief as he got a text from Lana saying Lillie was okay. Sun returned Oliver and began walking outside, where he would meet up with his mother and the others in a few minutes once Lana and Lillie returned to them.

"Why was that guy chasing Lillie? Wasn't he with the Aether Foundation?" Sun pondered, crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. Something didn't add up here. What was Lillie hiding from him?

"I'll figure this out later. She's safe, and that's all that matters." Sun thought as he made his way through the crowd. Sun was surprised to see Olivia standing nearby, chatting with Professor Kukui and Hala. Hau was nearby as well, but before Sun could approach them he accidentally bumped into a red-headed woman in a swimsuit.

"Agh. Sorry about that, ma'am." Sun apologized to the woman, who turned around and smiled down at him, her blue-green eyes twinkling in the Alolan sun.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Wait...didn't I see you in the Tournament?" the woman asked, looking Sun up and down. She then snapped her fingers, grinning now. "You beat Korrina! The Mega Evolution girl!"

"Yep. I'm Sun!" Sun introduced himself, extending a hand to her. The woman shook his hand, laughing a little. After a moment Sun actually recognized her.

"Wait a minute, you're Misty! The Cerulean City Gym Leader!" Sun said with surprise, making the woman grin.

"Good to know I have fans even in Alola. Though from the way you talk, you sound more Kantonian than Alolan." Misty noted, with Sun nodding.

"I'm originally from Kanto! Celadon City, actually." Sun explained, with Misty nodding.

"Makes sense. I bet it's great living around here. All the surf and sand and all of the cool Water-type Pokémon you can ask for!" Misty said cheerily, sounding excited. "I wish I could spend more time here, but obligations and stuff kinda stop that from happening."

"I see." Sun remarked, making Misty chuckle. She was cut off from speaking by a man approaching them, holding a brochure in his hands. He was squinting, and had black pointy hair and tanned skin, wearing a brown tank-top and cargo shorts. Sun recognized him as Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader of Kanto.

"There you are! These crowds are nuts." Brock remarked as he walked up to them. Brock gave Sun a good-natured grin and waved his hands, saying, "Alola!"

Sun grinned back at him, giving him a hearty, "Alola!" right back.

Brock turned to Misty and said, "So, having a friendly chat with some of the locals?"

"Something like that." Misty said with a laugh, rubbing the back of her head. Brock responded by handing the travel brochure to her, making the woman roll her eyes.

"Come on, Misty! We've only got a few hours to decide on what we need to do! They have all sorts of clubs and excursions to do here! Why would you settle for just going to the beach?" the tanned man said, putting his hands on his hips. His gaze drifted slightly to the left and a blush covered his face, though it seemed Sun was the only one to notice. The red-headed woman dug into her purse, sighing as she pulled out pair of seashell-spattered sunglasses.

"I'm on vacation, Brock, and I'll spend it my way." Misty replied coolly as she put on her sunglasses. After a moment she glanced at Brock, who she realized now was too busy staring at Olivia in the distance with a stunned look of awe on his face. Sun tapped the man on the shoulder, but received no response. Misty sighed, shaking her head.

"He gets like that. Don't let hormones rule your life, Sun. It doesn't end well." Misty warned Sun, smiling again at him. "Hopefully we get to battle sometime. For now, Alola!"

Misty waved at him, with Sun doing the same, leaving Sun with Brock. The boy stared at the man for a few moments before saying, "I'm pretty sure she's single, you know."

"Yaaaaaay…" Brock sighed dreamily. Sun rolled his eyes and walked away, deciding it would probably be better to head somewhere else. Sun carefully navigated his way through a crowd and made his way towards the park he was at earlier with Professor Kukui and Adrian Battlestorm, hoping for a little peace and quiet. To his surprise, it was occupied. To his displeasure, Geoff was there. He looked to be training, though Sun quickly learned things weren't that simple.

"Keep dodging! Don't stay on the ground too long!" Geoff barked out as his Riolu dodged a bombardment of attacks from a Stuntank and Infernape, who were both blasting flames at him. The Riolu was incredibly nimble, dodging the endless wave of attacks, though it was obvious the Pokémon was tiring. Sun couldn't tear his gaze away, instead choosing to watch from behind a tree. His eyes widened in horror as the Riolu was hit by a Flamethrower from the Infernape, which made it scream in pain and crash onto the ground.

"Too slow. You're getting sloppy." Geoff growled, face-palming in disgust. The Skuntank grunted in response, with Geoff suddenly smirking.

"Good idea. Instead of an agility exercise, let's switch to improving your endurance." Geoff said as the Riolu slowly rose to its feet, its legs wobbling unsteadily. "Use Endure. We'll hit you with everything we've got and see how much you've really grown."

"Stop it!" Sun screamed out, stepping out from behind the tree. Geoff hardly spared Sun a glance, his smile darkening as he glared at the trembling Riolu.

"Close Combat." Geoff ordered, pointing forward. The Infernape sprinted forward as the Riolu looked up, a terrified expression on its face before it's body flickered red. The Infernape began to brutally punch and kick the Emanation Pokémon, who barely able to whether the onslaught of attacks even with Endure active. Finally the glow around Riolu vanished, allowing the Infernape to uppercut the Pokémon and sending it flying into the air before crashing onto the ground.

Sun moved forward to help the Pokémon, but was stopping by a blast of fire hitting the ground ahead of him, stopping him in his tracks. Sun then became awaRE that the brutal training session was quickly drawing a crowd now, and some onlookers were pointing at the unmoving form of a badly beaten Riolu.

"Know your place. You dirty Alolans need to back the hell off. This is my Riolu. My Pokémon. My property. And I can train it however I damn well please. One way or another, I'm gonna make this thing stronger. And if its too weak to survive, then that's on him. Now…" Geoff turned towards his fallen Pokémon, his smile widening. "Flare Blitz, Infernape."

"Stop it! You're going to kill it if you keep this up!" Sun shouted, quickly grabbing Oliver's Poké Ball. The Infernape sprinted forward as a fierce aura of fire surrounded it, with the ape grinning sadistically as it charged forward the Riolu that was starting to stir a little, clutching its chest with an expression of agony. The crowd began to shout in horror, though one shout rose above the rest. A very familiar voice was behind that shout, to Sun's surprise.

"NULL! DEFENSE PROTOCOL!"

Sun looked up in time to see a monster suddenly leap through the air, its heavy body landing on the ground in front of the Riolu. Geoff's eyes widened in shock, his Infernape halting its attack in surprise at the strange beast glaring it down.

"You will not harm this child further." Type: Null uttered coldly, it's body glowing a harsh blue color and it's helmet shining a dull grey color as it stood protectively in front of the downed Riolu. Several of the horrified onlookers watched on with baited breath the two beasts glared each other down as Gladion burst onto the scene. His green eyes gleamed with a mixture of anger and concern as he sprinted over to the Riolu that was struggling to breathe. The teen dropped to his knees, quickly checking over the Pokémon while Geoff looked somewhat bored. Gladion looked over at the other Trainer, his expression becoming one of righteous fury.

"How could you...How could you do this to your own Pokémon!?" Gladion nearly screamed at the young man, who grinned at him.

"Pretty easily, actually. I care about Pokémon that are strong. That's about it. Being all sweet and kind and shit isn't my style. If a Pokémon is strong, then great. If its weak, then you make it strong by any means necessary." Geoff explained with an air of someone explaining the obvious.

"By beating the hell out of it!? That Riolu is barely clinging to life!" Gladion barked at the young man, who chuckled darkly.

"Again, why should I care? If it dies, then it's not any skin of my bones. It was too weak to hang with my team. I lose out on a Pokémon that was incredibly weak for its species, and it's less weight for me to carry back home." Geoff said casually, grinning at Gladion as he held out a Poké Ball. To Gladion's horror, Geoff returned the Riolu with a horrible smile.

"What did you think you could do? Save the poor wittle Pokémon from the mean ol' Trainer? Get real." Geoff scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets as Gladion glared him down. Sun kept watching, horribly transfixed as this display went on. Part of him knew that he should intervene...But he also had a feeling Gladion had this under control.

"Then let's settle this with a battle. One-on-one. Winner gets to keep that Riolu. If it stays with you, it'll end up dying" Gladion said as he stepped forward. Geoff barked out a laugh, grinning widely.

"Oh, so that's the way we're playing, huh?" Geoff said, chuckling as he leaned back. "Fine. If I win, I get to keep that pet monster you've got there. Fair deal, eh?'

Gladion growled in anger and was about to respond hotly when Type: Null nodded its head. Gladion turned towards his Partner in surprise, but the beast simply said, "We swore to get stronger. In order to save those you cared about. If we cannot save a Pokémon from a person as awful as this...Then we're failures."

"You sure Null?" Gladion asked the beast, who nodded again and crouched low, getting into a battle stance. At that point, Team Skull was beginning to show up within the crowd, having forced their way through. Bone Unit 71 appeared behind Gladion, with Demi looking particularly worried.

"Alright. Then I've got just the Pokémon for you!" Geoff said happily as he tossed the Poké Ball he already had in his hand up and down before throwing it forward. Gladion grit his teeth as a unconscious Riolu suddenly appeared in a flash of light.

"What is this?" Gladion demanded as Geoff dug around in his pocket and pulled out a small yellow diamond-like gem. He pressed the Revive against the Riolu and it glowed a faint white color before dissolving into the Pokémon's fur. The Riolu's eyes weakly opened as Geoff stood up tall, his expression twisting into something awful.

"I've decided to be lenient on you today. You better not fail me again. Now…Get. Up." Geoff intoned, his voice as cold as permafrost. The Riolu shuddered on the ground, twitching slightly. Just because it had regained awareness didn't mean it was anything near fighting-fit. "If you think I'm not above beating some strength you, you're dead wrong. I'll do to you what I did to that Gible." Geoff snarled, with the Riolu shutting its eyes at those words. "Now get up and fight!"

The Riolu slowly pushed itself upright, whimpering at the horrible pain such a simple feat was for it. Team Skull, however, caught onto something after a few moments.

"W-what did you do to the Gible, yo?" Kayla asked, almost sounding scared of what Geoff would say. The teen grinned at her, his smile absolutely monstrous.

"I left it to die in the middle of the Haina Desert after teaching it the same lesson I did this Riolu. I don't have any need for a broken Pokémon on my team. I hoped that this loser would get with the program after what I did to my old psychotic Gible, but I guess not. But it's not a real bother, really. I hear there's stronger Riolu on some place called Poni Island here in Alola." Geoff said, his voice dipping in volume. "So...that begs the question of why I'm even bothering with you? You're dead weight, Riolu."

"You could always release it, yo. Ain't no reason to just beat on something for the sake of it. Not like it's your dick or anything." Axen said, crossing his arms.

"Getting cold feet about seeing something so awful?" Demi said to the others, sounding angry and drawing their attention. "Hate what that guy is doing to that poor Riolu? Why? Haven't you done the same thing?"

"Not to our Pokémon!" Kevin yelled at the girl, who scowled.

"It shouldn't matter." Demi huffed, crossing her arms. Axen and Kayla exchanged a glance, but didn't respond because they knew that Demi was right.

"Screw this!" Kevin growled, stepping forward and pointing a finger at Geoff. "Yo asswipe! You want to back the hell off? Or is Team Skull gonna have to lay the smackdown?"

Axen and Tim stepped up as well after that sentence was uttered, scowling underneath their bandannas. Kayla hung back with Demi, muttering, "We do a lot of messed up stuff, but...we're not crazy like that guy. Are we?"

"Nope. Even some criminals have more humanity than that asshole." Demi replied as she glanced at the crowd, seeing their unsure expressions. She recognized Sun watching within the crowd, looking like he was itching to step in.

Meanwhile, Gladion glared down Geoff with a look of hate on his face. He couldn't dare order Type: Null to attack such an injured Pokémon, but he had to beat this creep. There was nothing else for it-

"You really are the worst kind of person, aren't you?" came a cold voice from behind Gladion. The teen glanced to his side to see a black-haired young woman dressed in a purple tank-top and shorts, a strange metallic device encasing her arm as a Jolteon sparked beside her. She didn't even spare the rest of Team Skull a glance, instead staring down Geoff with a determined look in her eyes.

"Says you. I can treat my Pokémon however I damn well please." Geoff shot back before looking to Gladion. "Come on, little man. Show me what you've got. Or are you really too scared to fight back without Team Skull backing you up?"

Aria looked back and forth between Gladion and Geoff, as if trying to decide something. She then took a look at the Riolu, who was staring forward with a terrified expression on his face. She could see how it could barely stand, the bruises and hardly healed injuries that the Revive had attempted to mend. How it was clearlt struggling to breathe.

"It's not a matter of my strength. It's a matter of principle. Call out any other Pokémon and I'll crush you. But I refuse to fight a half-dead Riolu." Gladion spat at the young man, who smirked.

"See, that's nothing but weakness in my eyes." Geoff said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Riolu, use Focus Blast!"

The Riolu shuddered and held out its hands, where an orb of light flickered into existence before it faded away. Geoff's smile faded, replaced with an awful frown of disgust.

"Don't make me repeat myself. I said...Hit that monster with Focus Blast. Or I'll make your next training session one twice as rough as today's was." Geoff snarled at the Riolu, who flinched and shut its eyes, putting even more effort into forming an attack it didn't have the energy to do.

"You're done. That Riolu can barely move, let alone attack-" Gladion began to say, but he was cut off when Geoff's Infernape suddenly charged onto the field, throwing an orb of energy at the Riolu and blasting it to the ground. The crowd gasped in horror as Gladion clenched his fists. Team Skull looked disgusted, but Geoff was grinning.

"See! Now that was a Focus Blast. Good work Infernape." Geoff said to the burning monkey, who nodded. The teen turned his gaze to the barely conscious Riolu that was writhing on the ground. "Did I say you could quit? After everything I've invested in you? All that money, all that time? Was that all for nothing? Get up!"

"Stop this! There's no reason for this!" Gladion barked out, stepping forward as Type: Null growled a warning to the teen with the mohawk. Geoff chuckled darkly, but was surprised when a Poké Ball suddenly flew past Gladion and hit the Riolu, creating a purple claw-like blast of energy that ensnared the Riolu and sucked him into the Poké Ball.

Gladion and Geoff turned to see Aria with her hand outstretched, a resolute expression on her face. Gladion turned back to see the Poké Ball shaking back and forth several times before it dinged and remained still, showing a successful capture.

"How...she captured a Pokémon that was already owned? That's impossible...isn't it?" Gladion thought as Geoff clenched his fists, letting out a growl of frustration.

"Snag confirmed." Aria muttered as she opened her palm. Geoff lunged for the Poké Ball, but was met with a fist to the face from Gladion that sent him to the ground. Aria caught the Poké Ball as it soared into her hand and stared down at it with an unreadable expression.

"Like master, like protégé. Is that what you felt when you saved Pyrrha, Wes?" Aria said quietly, tightening her grip on the Poké Ball.

"W-what did you just do!?" Geoff growled as he staggered to his feat, his Skuntank and Infernape bristling behind him. The others watched the display with awe and confusion.

"I snagged your Riolu. It's mine now. I'm going to give it to a Trainer that actually deserves a Pokémon that tries so hard." Aria said softly, tossing the Poké Ball up and down in the air. Geoff watched the woman, eyeing the device attached to her arm, and his expression soured.

"It's yours? So you stole my Pokémon! That makes you a thief! Someone, get the police! She just stole my Pokémon!" Geoff shouted to the crowd. To Gladion's surprise, no one budged an inch. Bone Unit 71 stepped forward, each of them glaring at the young man. Well, Axen got briefly distracted.

"I'll let you do anything you want to Kevin if you let us borrow that for five minutes." Axen said to Aria, who actually smirked at him.

"As tempting as that is, I'll have to pass." Aria said as she turned her head to Geoff, who was snarling furiously at her. His Skuntank and Infernape seemed primed and ready to attack. Aria stepped forward and stood alongside Gladion, drawing another Poké Ball as her Jolteon crouched low, ready to protect them.

"You look ready for a fight. I don't recommend trying to battle me. I'm very good." Aria warned Geoff, casting a glance to Gladion. "You wanna take this creep out together?"

"I don't need or want your help." Gladion muttered, looking at the Riolu's Poké Ball in Aria's other hand. "How did you do that? And...can we hurry this up? That Riolu looked like it was about to…"

Aria nodded and prepared to call out another Pokémon before Geoff let out a shout of fury and returned both of his Pokémon. He turned on his heel and charged into the crowd, shoving several people aside as he got out of the park. Aria watched the teen before before Gladion whirled around.

"The Riolu!" Gladion reminded her. The Snagger was about to respond when she heard familiar voice from behind her.

"What the hell is happening here?" Aria looked up and saw Captain Ollie striding towards them, his expression serious. Jack walked alongside him, with a familiar red eye following in his shadow.

"A case of some serious Pokémon abuse. It's one of the Tournament contestants. I think his name was Geoff Kekdil." Aria said tersely, returning Sophie the Jolteon. Gladion watched on with horror as Type: Null pressed its head against him, trying to comfort the worried teen.

Demi could see how horrified the boy was, and it made him seem so vulnerable. She wanted to walk up to him and comfort him somehow. Let him know that he had done the right thing and she respected him for sticking up for the Riolu. And then it struck her.

Gladion used to live at the Aether Paradise. A place dedicated to the protection of Pokémon who were in danger or that had suffered. He had grown up like that, and obviously cared a lot more about Pokémon abuse than the normal Trainer. Which meant...

Getting to see something like this was something out of Gladion's worst nightmare.

Jack scowled at Team Skull, who glared right back. "Did you morons get involved in this?"

"Yo, why you be discriminating?" Axen asked, throwing about his hands.

"I don't think that's what discrimination is." Kevin remarked, crossing his arms.

"Can you even spell discrimination?" Kayla asked, with Axen raising a finger as he opened his mouth to speak. He paused, however, his mouth slowly closing as he lowered his finger.

"Thought so." Kayla replied, nodding with satisfaction.

"No, they haven't been. I'll explain later, though! We need to get this Riolu treated now!" Gladion barked at Jack, who frowned thoughtfully.

"You want to do crowd control? I can handle the rest." Jack asked Ollie, who nodded and began shouting at the crowd to disperse, with some police officers finally arriving to help the crowd go away.

Aria looked down at the Poké Ball in her hand and looked at Gladion, who was looking up at her with concern in his eyes. The Snagger smiled after a moment and held out the Riolu's Poké Ball to the teen, who stared at it in surprise.

"This Riolu is no longer Geoff's. I think he could use a kinder Trainer, don't you think?" Aria said gently as Gladion stared at the Poké Ball with a bewildered expression. He silently accepted the ball, his expression one of worry. Meanwhile, Aria looked at Jack and said, "Can you get them to the Pokémon Center? That Riolu might not make it otherwise. It was in really bad shape."

"Yeah. Come here, kid. I'll make sure we get there quick. I can ask you some questions while we get that little guy situated." Jack said to Gladion as he recalled Type: Null and walked back towards them. Gladion cast Aria a glance, his eyes flicking over to Bone Unit 71 for a moment before his gaze returned to the Snagger.

"Thank you." Gladion muttered as he brushed past her to where Jack was waiting. Gretel leapt out of Jack's shadow and carried the teen away, laughing as he screamed in surprise. Aria watched the shadow depart while Jack walked over to Ollie, who was speaking into an earpiece.

While this was going on, Sun finally walked over to Team Skull, who watched him approach. Kevin grinned underneath his bandanna and walked forward. "Yo, wassup little homie?"

"Hey...Uh...Dude? So...what was with all of that? You guys seemed pretty against what he was doing there. You actually stepped up to support Gladion. I thought you hated him." Sun said to the group, with Tim and Kayla shrugging.

"I love screwing with him, so we don't have the best relationship. The others are more willing to work with him than I am, though." Axen explained, shrugging as he walked away. "Let's meet Edgelord at the Pokémon Center."

"Yeah, let's go!" Demi said as she jogged off, with Axen behind her. Kayla and Tim exchanged a glance before they both nodded, following their friends. Kevin seemed to linger, looking at Aria before looking at Sun.

"I don't get it. Team Skull does a lot of messed up stuff. You hurt other people, their Pokémon, and just cause nothing but trouble. But with just one Trainer...You tried to stand up to him. You supported your comrade. Why? You guys don't make sense." Sun asked the teen, who crossed his arms and thought after it as he stared at the ground.

After a few moments of thought, Kevin chuckled a few times, looking back at Sun after a few moments. "We're thieves. We're rejects. We're rude and vulgar and we harass the shit outta people every single day for leaving us high and dry, yo. Some of us may be genuinely awful people…but..."

"Even Team Skull has standards."

Kevin turned around and walked away, giving Sun a backwards wave as he departed, leaving the Kanto-native to his thoughts.


Yet another scene I've waited a long time to get to.

I really do love the theme I have with Gladion's entire team. He hasn't caught a single one in the traditional sense. They're all Pokémon who joined him or Pokémon he helped in some way. Kinda like Ash, except more edgy and not a total twat.

Special thanks to Technetium2 for suggesting Lyra to appear in the story. Probably not what you had in mind, but realistically I couldn't have Champions showing up in the tournament. It'd be impossible for Sun to make it anywhere in the tournament!

Additional special thanks goes to Sai Og Sus for suggesting the Misty and Brock cameos! I'm not sure if I'll do a Brock/Olivia angle for real because I haven't watched the anime enough to know what the deal is with that. Oh well.

Q & A

From: Defender31415

Sun and Lillie make such an adorable couple. Do you consider them together at this point, or are they still thinking things over?

Still thinking things over. They're getting more comfortable about discussing their feelings and expressing those feelings. As I said, two very awkward children trying to take things slow. Their first official date is during the Festival of Celestial Lights, and they'll see where things go after that. But they're not a couple...yet. Just two kids who are attracted to each other and have no idea how to proceed except by spending time with each other.,

There's a joke I could make here, but I'll just go to the next question.

From: Oragonking

You killed Hilber!? How many famous characters are you going to kill!? Besides, the full appearance of the Dragon of Unova has yet to appear. Perhaps it will appeard in the Pokemon Adventures manga. I hope it will. And that they'll hurry up and finish it.

...Define "famous". Because I'm nowhere near done yet.

From: Ew futw

Great chapter once again. How do you continually make exceptional chapters? Thanks for using Volkner, I think he was scripted perfectly. Another question, what is the current state of the Unova elite 4? They surely couldn't just stand by when Cipher were attacking so were they killed, sent into hiding or joined a resistance?

Years and years of experience and being able to focus on just one story, which I haven't been able to do before now. It honestly helps more than people think.

And the Unova Elite 4 have either gone into hiding or is aiding the resistance movement in Unova, led by Nate and N. They couldn't stand up to Perfect Kyurem either, so they vacated the Pokemon League. As for specifics, Grimsley is hiding out in Alola, while the other three are helping in Unova where they can.

From: Joey

Also one last question, I know you said that this may be your last fanfic on this website ever, and I noticed that Galar was mentioned like 2 chapters ago, but besides that 1 time, do you plan to include more mentions of Gen 8 (new pokemon, important characters, etc) as this story goes on? (I think you said that this story is most likely gonna take a year or two to finish and Sword/Shield is most likely gonna come out in the fall.) If you think I'm being rude by asking I apologize, its hard to word this question.

I'll try to include as much as I can within reason. I do have plans for a rather hilarious Galar-region moment coming up during the Festival of Celestial Lights, since I don't want the moment to get lost in these next few chapters where tons of the stuff happen. Aside from that, we'll see. We just don't know enough about it right now for me to do much now, but we'll see in the future. I'm absolutely open to it, just as I was when US/UM started doing new things that I included in this story.

And no worries, your question was perfectly fine. :)

From: RC-DA

Also why are people surprised that Penny can use Brick Break? Staraptor can use Close Combat for crying out loud, that makes way less sense!

Mainly because Whitney is from Johto, where the Flying-types are different (Pidgey, Natu, Noctowl, Skarmory). She hasn't really dealt with Pokemon from other regions, especially exotic ones like Toucannon, so Penny busting out Brick Break threw her off guard. Granted, Sun will likely encounter the same problem, but I did want to use a situation like that to Sun's advantage.

Also, several people have commented about Whitney not being that hard. Yes, I know that if you prepare properly she's not very difficult, but there's a reason that the character is a meme. To someone going in blind, she can be pretty tough. Especially if, like me, you prefer to use Quilava in Gen 2. I figured it'd be entertaining and it showcased everything I wanted to in the battle, so it all worked out.

From: PigniteGamer19

Hey, could you list down all the Pokémon owned by each protagonist? I'm planning on doing a playthrough of each game using their teams, and I want to know what you plan on giving them (Except for Sun, of course). Thanks!

Do you mean like, Ethan and Nate and such? Or do you mean a roster of the teams of the protagonists in the story (Hugh, Aria, Laura, Ollie, and so on.) If you can clarify that, I'll happily expand on that next update.

I'm actually working on a spreadsheet of everyone's current and past Pokémon for my own reference, and it isn't spoilery so I wouldn't mind sharing it with readers.

That's it for me folks. I'm gonna try and not get suckered into playing Destiny 2 all weekend, so we'll see how that goes. As of now, it'll be another bi-weekly update. After that we should revert to normal scheduling, since the chapters won't be nearly as long. We'll see how it goes. I appreciate you all being patient with me, these chapters are a lot to get through.

Until then, I have a question for you all!

Would any of you be interested in joining a dedicated Discord Server for this story and for Pokemon/Writing/Gaming-related stuff in general? I communicate with readers and writers on this site often enough to where I think the idea has merit. And I know a lot of readers of this story do their own fics and are fans of Pokemon, so...why not? I figured I'd float the idea by everyone and see what you all think.

Please let me know what you think of the idea by voting on the poll, via PM, or with a good old review. I'll expand on this idea further depending on the feedback.

Thanks again for being awesome. Drop a review if you want to tell me your thoughts, have a question, or want have a suggestion for the Tournament. This is the last chapter to suggest ideas on, so make them count! Also, favorite and/or follow the story if you haven't already! That's how you stay updated about it!

Take care and stay awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!